


Angelic Intervention (.life is never that easy)

by estel_willow



Category: American Idol RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Humor, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-02
Updated: 2010-08-02
Packaged: 2017-10-10 22:03:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 43,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/104801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/estel_willow/pseuds/estel_willow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>It works like this, see, when someone dies they're sent to a panel of judges, not unlike those ones that sit in front of people with ideas that need money and beg for it from rich people with excess money sitting on the tables beside them (some quaint British TV rubbish, Dragon's Den or something? The cable reception in Heaven kinda sucks too). </i></p><p>The actions of your life are weighed up, Ancient Egyptian style and hey presto your fate's decided. If you weren't awesome enough when you were alive you get one more shot at trying to be awesome through the Newly-Deceased-Angelic-Rehabilitation-Scheme. The NDARS.</p><p>In which Kris Allen, freshly dumped and stagnating in the LA scene meets his Guardian Angel and the love of his life. Of course, things never <i>ever</i> run that smoothly. Not when your Guardian Angel is Cassidy Haley, and what he wants? Is the guy you're in love with.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Angelic Intervention (.life is never that easy)

Sometimes it sucked to be dead.

Now, that might not come as a shock to a lot of people, but there are actually times when it really does suck to be part of the undead legions. Not the zombie undead legions because you wouldn't know what sucked about it in your conquest for brains, but the Angelic Heavenly Host kind of dead. It sucked. And the robes that you had to wear when you're walking around in Heaven? So 2000 years ago, really. After all, the Good Lord God created everything, he couldn't have created something slightly more fashionable to wear when chilling? Granted, they give a lovely breeze - and you're not supposed to go commando underneath them but some angels just never were that good at following the rules - and having slits in the back for wings is better because you don't worry about ruining your clothes because of the feathered appendages sticking out from between your shoulder blades, but seriously.

Sometimes it seriously sucked being dead.

It works like this, see, when someone dies they're sent to a panel of judges, not unlike those ones that sit in front of people with ideas that need money and beg for it from rich people with excess money sitting on the tables beside them (some quaint British TV rubbish, Dragon's Den or something? The cable reception in Heaven kinda sucks too).

The actions of your life are weighed up, Ancient Egyptian style and hey presto your fate's decided. If you weren't awesome enough when you were alive you get one more shot at trying to be awesome through the Newly-Deceased-Angelic-Rehabilitation-Scheme. The NDARS.

One angel that found himself on this scheme was Cassidy Haley. Cruelly ripped from the LA life of fashion and fame, glitz and glamour by some dickhead with a car that was totally overcompensating by the way for everything that he was lacking in in his life combined with far too many shots of tequila. Cassidy hadn't even seen the car before it was too late and he'd been blindsided by it, smacked and sent flying. He was in a coma for three weeks before he was pronounced brain-dead (to which he took a personal affront because he most certainly was not brain dead and he never had been, his brain was a hub of creativity and life, so there) and the life-support machine was turned off.

He'd been given his second chance to help people and do right and all that jazz through this programme and as long as he could create his own image and wear what he wanted to wear whenever he was down on the surface, he figured it couldn't hurt.

Besides, there were hundreds of people down there that needed his help, because he had seen what the people of Earth wore and it made him feel woefully sad and despair for the human race, because really.

He was assigned to a young kid, well, not a kid but a man and he was still young compared to the ripe old age of 27 that Cassidy had been when he was killed, the 23 year old from Arkansas was definitely of the baby variety and he was apparently new to the LA scene. Freshly divorced from a marriage that didn't go anywhere because they'd just been together too long - and that was the problem with straight couples in Cassidy's mind, too many rules and societal expectations - and he was trying to make it as a musician. The Almighty had plans for the little man (not that Cassidy had any idea of how little this kid may or may not be because the filing system in the NDARS department of Heaven left a lot to be desired, he blamed the secretary, a flaming red-head called Allison who's attention span was shorter than his and that was saying something) and it was up to Cassidy to - no pressure or anything - make sure that he followed them and went along the right path for his life.

After all, if it all went wrong, Cassidy would be stripped of his Guardian Angel status (though he was more a Guardian Angel in training, this kid was his first mission, or case, or whatever they were called) and be cast down to Purgatory. And Purgatory, as he understood it, had no hair products, no make up and certainly worse fashion than the circa 0AD robes that he was forced to wear at the moment. Besides, he was liking the winged look, he was rocking the winged look and not many people could do that (well, okay, loads could be it made him feel better, okay? So shut up).

That was how he found himself in a bar in LA, some little dive that he never would have been caught dead in before (though, granted everything had changed now because apparently he'd died about ten years ago and going through the paperwork did just take that long, Heaven was no different than the tax office). He'd fiddled with his appearance to try and make himself blend in but the ass-hugging jeans and the dark blue leather jacket that clung to him were still all just Cassidy Haley, and the fact that he had a little bit of make up on and perfectly painted black nails also meant that he was at least looking a little bit like himself, even if he wasn't able to go all out.

The bar smelt like beer and men. Not always a bad combination, but since the man smell was not because he'd taken one home and ravished him and more because there were about a hundred people in a place that was clearly too small for such numbers, it wasn't so pleasant. But Cassidy said nothing. Did nothing, because he was here on a job and he knew it.

He cast his eyes to the ceiling, knowing that he was being watched like a hawk, though he forgot all about that when he saw a tall guy on the other side of the bar, and Good Lord (Cassidy caught himself a second later and winced internally, apologising to the Father he knew could hear him) was that man like a long, tall drink of water. His eyes were rimmed with Kohl, black and thick and it made them pop, those hands, big and strong were also painted black, nails done perfectly like a manicurist, though the edge of the right thumb had started to chip a little. His hair was dark with a few streaks of blue shot through and Cassidy wondered if it was a sin to... indulge a little whilst he was here on a job and he found himself hoping against hope that this was his kid from Arkansas, though this man looked anything but a kid. And he was so Cassidy's type.

He was so completely Cassidy's type that it hurt a little. His legs were carrying him over almost before he could stop himself and he chewed on his lower lip. "I'll have a JD and coke," he muttered as he slid down onto a bar stool next to the tall handsome stranger. He ignored the little bell in his mind, someone reminding him that he had a job to do. He'd been dead for ten years! He was an angel! It wasn't like he was going to let the man take him home and have his wicked way with him (_yet_ his treacherous mind added and he was forced to send another silent apology skyward). He wet his lower lip again and shot a glance at the stranger who had turned his head to look at him. Cassidy wondered if he could see the halo or the wings or the Glow of the Almighty or whatever dumb shit it was that people saw when they looked at angels but all the guy seemed to do was give him an appreciative once over and offer one of those very strong (and warm, oh so warm) hands.

"Adam," he introduced himself and at the sound of his voice Cassidy was pretty sure that he'd fallen in love. If he could, that was, because he didn't know if that was even possible. Did he even have a heart to skip a beat? It seemed to tug painfully inside his chest which would make him assume that yes, whilst he was in human form, he felt and did all the same things humans did which meant that he could only have one drink. Maybe two. Three wouldn't hurt... Especially if this cute stranger - no, not Stranger, _Adam_ \- bought them for him.

"Cassidy," he replied quietly, shaking Adam's hand firmly. His own touch was a little cool, but not cold. Surprising considering he'd been dead for ten years. Did that count as necrophilia? God, he hoped not. After all, he was an Angel, so he was technically part of the legions of the undead so he wasn't a corpse, besides, his actual body was burned so there would be no- He wrinkled his nose and stopped that train of thought straight away. That was disgusting.

"It's great to meet you," Adam was saying, "I haven't seen you around here before, you new to LA?"

"In a manner of speaking," Cassidy offered mysteriously, taking a sip of the drink that had been given to him with a straw and a slice of lemon, how awesome. "Used to live here, moved away, came back again. You look like you've lived here all your life, though, fit in perfectly."

Adam gave a soft laugh and Cassidy had a Moment of Divine Wisdom. He wanted this guy, and he knew that he had freckles, that his name was Adam Lambert and that he was naturally strawberry-blonde but he hated it so he dyed his hair and his eyebrows once a month to keep them black. He also knew that he'd just broken up with some guy called Brad and was nursing a broken heart and as such was feeling a little lost at sea without direction. Cassidy sent a 'thanks' up towards the ceiling because the person he'd been sent to look out for was also lost at sea. Granted, he'd also been told that the person he was supposed to be helping on their life path was straight, but hey, Cassidy figured this guy needed his help a whole lot more. It was showing initiative, clearly he was doing good at this Guardian Angel thing. Who said that they couldn't pick their own person?

(Well, the rules, but if Cassidy had ever played by them, he wouldn't have been where he was at the moment and that would have been a crying shame as far as he was concerned because here he was having a drink with Adam who was, by all accounts, _perfect_.)

He ignored the insistent tugging in his mind, something telling him that he needed to move and be somewhere else, that his real charge was waiting for him but he just kept pushing it aside and away. It was like one of those itches that just got worse after you scratched it. How could there possibly be someone out there more perfect for him to watch over and guide than this lost soul in front of him? Never mind that he was smoking hot too and Cassidy certainly would love to spend every waking moment with him. Eventually the tugging went from being an itch to a stabbing pain. He'd had his wings pulled on once, when he'd made a joke about cutting them off and becoming one of the Fallen. They'd given him a fraction of the pain that he would feel and he instantly changed his mind, gave up and decided that maybe he'd just stay being an Angel after all. Allison had laughed at him for weeks for being a pussy and fluttered her own illustrious pair at him. A few of her wings had been painted red too, to match her hair. Cassidy wondered whether or not, once he'd been dead for long enough, he'd be able to dye his wings too. That would make it a whole lot more interesting...

But the pain was distracting him even from the perfection of Adam's mouth and he curled his fingers around the edge of his bar stool. It felt like someone was trying to rip him in two and clearly Adam wasn't his charge but that sucked and he'd just have to make sure he kept seeing Adam. There was concern in those intense blue eyes and Cassidy wanted to reassure him that everything was alright. All he managed to do was mumble, "Migraine, bathroom," before he slid off his stool and staggered away.

He could barely see where he was going, he was just following his gut and hoping that it lead him in the direction of the bathroom.

It didn't. It lead him to walk smack-bang into someone else, some little guy wearing a plaid shirt and too-baggy jeans with his hair looking mussed - but not artfully - and hazel eyes that reminded him of puppies and cute things. And the guy was short. But the instant Cassidy smacked into him, the pain was gone.

Those hazel eyes widened in surprise. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry," he was hastily saying, but Cassidy lost the words properly, the kid's mouth was moving but no sounds were coming out because Cassidy was suddenly overwhelmed with this feeling of completion, of whole-ness and apparently this kid was his.

Oh God, this badly dressed, plaid loving kid was the one he was supposed to be looking after.

The kid was babbling, something about another relationship down the drain and how he'd just been dumped and the guy that had done it was over there.

Cassidy turned his head and folded his arms, leaning against the wall. His lips were curled up in a small smile, approaching a smirk.

"I wouldn't go crying over him if I were you," he offered sagely, ignoring the confused look that flickered over his charge's face. Kristopher Allen, a voice informed him, sounding cheerfully like Allison, "Kris. He looks like an asshole if you ask me."

It became apparent that the kid hadn't asked Cassidy for his opinion, but he spoke anyway, a slight drawl on his vowels as the words slipped out of him. His shoulder lifted, along with one eyebrow. "Oh really? I hadn't noticed, what with the dumping me and all." Said ex-boyfriend was already off dancing with someone else, two steps and a vodka shot away from sticking his hand down the guy's pants. "Who are you anyway?" Kris wasn't one to be rude very often, Cassidy knew that pretty instantly, but considering the situation, he figured he'd give the kid this one chance, a free pass to be a bit of a dick because he'd just been dumped and some highly attractive - and far better dressed - guy was swooping in and offering unhelpful comments about his love life.

He gave a razor sharp grin, eyes lighting up. "I'm- well, I guess you could call me your guardian angel."

From the look that slid over the kid's face to the (admittedly adorable) lifting of his eyebrows and the creasing of his forehead, Cassidy couldn't quite work out whether or not he wanted to pick Kris up and put him in his pocket and keep him forever and ever because he was cute or smack him upside the head.

"Believe me, don't believe me, whatever. I'm just here to put your life back on track and what an awesome track it is."

Kris had folded his arms, tucking his hands underneath his armpits like he was cold and his shoulders were lifted defensively. He'd been through a lot, his faith was shaken and the last time he'd actually believed in God was when he'd been out on a Missionary trip to Africa. He'd not spent the time talking about God, he hadn't gone over to bring the Word of the Lord to the masses (though a lot of people upstairs thought he should have been, but they were all old fashioned and even more badly dressed so, to Cassidy, their opinions mattered not). He'd spent it watching, helping, learning. Looking at how these people could still smile even after everything that had been taken from them. He'd spent it in awe of humanity and the being that had created these remarkable people and creatures. Of course, then Katy had divorced him and his brother had gotten married and Kris' life had just been unhitched from the train and was left to slow to a halt.

That was where Cassidy came in, of course.

However, there was still the issue of the hot not-blonde at the bar that Cassidy had stumbled away from. He needed to go talk to Adam again and for serious. Because the guy was too hot and pretty and practically perfect in every way for Cassidy to let him escape without at least getting a kiss, or a blow job or maybe, at the very least, a phone number.

"Come with me," he announced, reaching out and touching Kris' arm. There was a shock that rippled from the point of contact right up his arm. If his wings had been out (or indeed visible), they would have stretched, fluttered and then folded again. From the look on Kris' face, he'd felt it too. "I need to go talk to someone and I clearly can't leave you alone because if I do you'll either bail and I'll have to go searching through all these far too masculine dives for you or you'll go and walk into someone that isn't your guardian angel and they'll punch you in that cute little Southern face of yours for it."

Kris huffed. "If I remember correctly," he pointed out, letting Cassidy weave them both through the crowd to get to the bar, "You're the one that walked into me."

"Details, details," Cassidy muttered dismissively, eyes scanning for the distinctive blue and black hair, a triumphant and slightly predatory grin curling over his features when he spotted Adam. "Right. Here's the deal, this guy is perfect for me. And I'm going to go and get his phone number and maybe go to the bathroom with him and then I'll be right onto helping you put your life back on track, okay?"

He wasn't even really talking to Kris. It was a message for Allison and everyone else upstairs. What? Cassidy was a human right now, granted an angelic one but still a human and he could totally feel the fact that his human body wanted to have sex with Adam's human body. It didn't hurt that his mind was totally on board with the idea. Definitely not.

"So you sit right here," he continued, blithely ignoring anything that Kris might want to say or protest about the way he was being treated, "And I'll be right back."

And so he left, having just effectively put Kris on a stool and told him to stay like some kind of puppy (well, with those eyes and that hair he would have made an awfully cute dog) before he went looking for Adam. Of course, by the time he'd navigated to where he'd last seen Adam, that itch was back in the back of his mind, telling him he was getting a little too far away from his charge - and boy that was going to put a kink in his sex life - and Adam wasn't at the bar.

In fact, Adam wasn't at all where Cassidy had been expecting him to be because when he turned around and actually laid eyes on him, he felt a strange sensation twisting in his stomach because Adam Lambert, the new lust in Cassidy Haley's after-life (or unlife, whatever) was standing in front of Kristopher Allen, Cassidy Haley's angelic charge.

Oh, that was not good. Not good at all.

\+ + +

Kris had always thought that jealousy was an ugly emotion, he had. And this guy was definitely no angel because the little green monster of jealousy (stupid analogy it might have been but Kris' mom had always used it and he always thought it oddly fitting that jealousy could be a green monster) was definitely sitting on Cassidy's shoulder.

For some reason he'd allowed the stranger to pull him towards the bar and he was insanely glad that he had: Adam had come over to talk to him the moment he'd been pushed down onto the stool and they'd swapped phone numbers. Not in a sexual kind of way, not at all, but they'd spoken a couple of times before and Kris had always found him to be interesting to talk to and one hell of a lot of fun. He was pretty certain they'd make awesome friends if they ever had half a chance, but they'd never really had even half a chance until that day so he supposed he should thank Cassidy.

However, that thanks hadn't been an invitation for the guy to just move right on up into Kris' life. Somehow he managed to get the apartment opposite Kris' (he had some friends in the Earth-Bound Angel Housing Department), charm a spare key to Kris' apartment out of his landlady who was notoriously grumpy and wouldn't even give a key to Kris' _wife_, so why his new stalker got a key he didn't understand. However, what he understood even less was how not freaked out he was about the whole thing. When Cassidy touched him - as rare as it was because it was a weird feeling and Cassidy's face always went a little funny when they made skin-to-skin contact - Kris felt calm and comforted, like someone was there, guiding him. It was stupid, he knew that as much as the next guy, but he still felt it and wasn't that what was important? It was the same feeling he used to get when he went to church, that feeling of wholeness and completion, trust that there was someone looking down on him to make sure that everything was going to be alright.

That might have been why he was so willing to believe that Cassidy might very well be his guardian angel, as stupid and lame as that sounded. And to be honest with himself, Cassidy wasn't actually that bad. He seemed like a good enough guy, a little self-centered perhaps but a good guy all the same. Kris had feelings like this about people.

"So," Cassidy's voice pulled him from his thoughts, "you called him yet?"

"Who?" Kris asked, for a few moments genuinely confused because he was pretty sure the only 'him' that he might have been calling was the man that they had mutually decided was a dick the first time that they met.

Cassidy rolled his eyes like Kris was a cute little puzzle meant to piss him off and amuse him all at the same time. He hated that look, it was oddly superior and it always seemed to remind Kris of an expression that clearly read _Small Man, you amuse me_. He had no issues about his height, but he didn't like being made to feel it. No one did, even if they were six foot it was never cool to be made to feel small. "Adam, stupid."

"You know for an angel you really need to work on your manners." Kris offered. It was an argument they'd had many a time, ranging from times like this where Cassidy was offending his intelligence to times when Cassidy barged in and interrupted phone calls or, perhaps most notably, showers. Apparently being Kris' guardian angel meant that Cassidy had to be close to him at all times otherwise the angel ended up in a lot of pain and that sounded sucky, if you asked him. "And no, I haven't. Why would I?"

"Because he's gorgeous and gave you his number and clearly wants you to call him?" Cassidy suggested, that tone in his voice again that matched the raising of his eyebrows that was clearly asking Kris 'how can you be real and so dense?'.

"I gave him mine too, so if he really wanted to talk, then he could call me. I think he was just being nice, we've met a couple of times before and we get on really well." Kris knew Adam was gorgeous, he'd have to be blind, deaf, dumb and functionally retarded not to know, but he also knew that Adam was completely out of his league, so far in fact that Kris couldn't even see Adam's league from where he stood, and that Adam - when he last checked because popular to contrary belief he _didn't_ gossip - was taken.

Cassidy blew out a frustrated breath.

"First you won't let me take you shopping because honey your style..." he lifted a hand and wrinkled his nose. His fingers wiggled a little as if the clothes Kris was wearing insulted him. Maybe they did. Maybe Kris liked it that way and they both know just how much he liked his wardrobe. "And now you're not calling the cute guy that gave you his number? Are you really gay?"

"Maybe I just don't want to jump into random sex with a nearby stranger to make myself feel better about everything?" Kris suggested, an edge to his voice. Cassidy stopped and looked at him for a second; he might not have known Kris for all that long but the second they'd touched, it was like Kris' whole life and personality was downloaded into his brain in an instant, so he _knew_ Kris. He knew him better than anyone else and he still found the little bastard confusing as fuck.

"Why not?" he asked as if it were a completely reasonable question. "What's wrong with random sex with strangers?"

"Nothing," Kris was quick to say, "It's just not for everyone and it's definitely not for me. I don't- I don't like it. I'm a relationship guy. I have to be with someone to... be _with_ them you know?" He shuffled his feet and rubbed the back of his neck, scratching at the short hairs at the nape of his neck and Cassidy most certainly did not find that kind of adorable. Not at all.

"Whatever, if you're not gonna have him, can I?"

Kris' stunned look almost made Cassidy laugh. "I mean it, can I have him because he's perfect for me."

"I- uh-" Kris couldn't quite explain why he was compelled to say no, hide his phone and not let Cassidy have the number. "But you're an angel." And he knew that quite categorically now because apparently the lack of privacy thing went both ways because Kris woke up in the middle of the night to see Cassidy in his lounge all glowing with these huge wings sprouted from his shoulder-blades, eyes closed and talking like he was on the telephone to someone. He even had one hand up to his ear like he was holding something.

It had taken Kris three days to convince himself it was just a dream when he'd walked into Cassidy's apartment to ask him about it and seen the wings for himself, touched them and was fascinated with the way that Cassidy's eyes fluttered shut and he shuddered, the tremble going right through him to the tips of his wings.

"I didn't think angels could... you know."

Cassidy snorted. "You'd be surprised, little man." He ignored Kris' 'don't call me that' in favour of carrying on. "When we're up there at work I think it's just a remnant, you know? You remember what it's like to feel hungry, or tired, or grouchy, or horny. But down here? Down here I actually get tired, and I get hungry, and I forgot how much I adore coffee. And I definitely get fucking horny." People touching and stroking his wings certainly didn't help that particular state and Kris wasn't even his type. Cassidy was getting desperate.

"So you're human right now. Or as close to it as you can get considering your... status. And Adam's a friend."

Kris was rewarded with a nod and a smile that wasn't at all indulgent. "You catch on quick," he teased and Kris just rolled his eyes, folding his arms like he was expecting Cassidy to mock him some more.

Whilst it was tempting, Cassidy refrained and instead took Kris' phone, found Adam's number and committed it to memory. Another handy thing about being an angel: sudden eidetic memory for things that were considered to be important by the angel in question. Adam's phone number was definitely considered to be of utmost importance, believe it or not. Not that anything was more important to him than getting Kris back on his musical tracks, of course. After all, that was the one reason Cassidy had been sent down. With the precious phone number in his head, he glanced over at the guitar in the corner of the living room. It did look awfully sad.

Kris followed his gaze and there was a twist inside his chest, a sharp pain and a tug that he had now come to associate with the music. Katy had been his inspiration and his biggest supporter, and he hadn't been able to play anything, not really, since she'd announced that they were getting divorced. His music was part of the problem, she'd always felt that she came second to his music, to his dream, to his creativity. He didn't know that she felt so strongly about it, but the music just had to come out. For as long as he could remember Kris had always had a song inside of him, bubbling and growing, wanting to get out however it could, whether that was through the piano, guitar or viola, or any one of the number of instruments he had taught himself to play just so that his music had some way of getting out of his chest before it exploded in there. He'd always thought that Katy understood, his creative muse was demanding but it never took time away from _them_. Never. But apparently it hadn't been enough and now the music that had previously been dripping from Kris, pouring out of him at every opportunity was nothing but an empty manuscript, lines desperately needing to be filled but there was nothing in him that could fill them. Nothing that could plug the gap.

"You should pick it up. I know you're good."

When Kris first got to LA, he'd spent time singing in bars, trying to get himself heard and his name known but nothing had happened, LA was a big place and it was where people who wanted to be stars came to bus tables and pump gas. Kris had never wanted to be one of those failure stories. He figured if it was meant to happen it would have happened already and maybe it was time for him to leave, but then Katy had left him and Conway wasn't really somewhere that he wanted to be; too many memories. So he'd ended up being stuck in LA, working a 9-5 shift as a coffee boy in a music studio: perfect job when he was still the budding musician, now it just kind of hurt to hear and see people making records and doing what they loved for a living, doing what he should have loved and he wished more than anything that he still did, but it wasn't to be, apparently. He'd met Adam a few times and they'd hit it off quite well, Kris would even go so far as to calling him a friend and they had swapped numbers before, but Adam had changed his recently, Brad had broken his phone or something and that was why he hadn't been in contact for ages.

"Maybe later," he offered tiredly. "I know you wanna go call Adam, so go call him. I'm just- I'm not coming out with you guys so you'll just have to have fun without me."

"Who said you'd be invited anyway?" Cassidy asked, looking affronted that Kris would even dare think that Cassidy needed someone's help to have a good time. Kris rolled his eyes and took a few long strides past Cassidy and into the hallway. Cassidy felt the distance immediately, a hand gripping his heart, stealing his breath away. His feet stumbled him backwards to the corridor where he scowled at Kris who just shrugged and walked back past him into his apartment. "Oh, that. You're right, we may have a problem there..."

"You could always invite him over?" Kris suggested and then shut the door in Cassidy's face when the angel laughed like having someone over for dinner was the single most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard in the history of everything. Why would he invite someone to his house if not for sex?

"You're so precious," Cassidy cooed from behind the closed door and when he realised that Kris wasn't going to let him in again he just shrugged and headed into his own apartment. As long as Kris didn't go out, Cassidy would be fine in the apartment opposite. He didn't want to live with the guy, though that certainly would make having... men over a lot easier.

Not that it was worth thinking about, because Cassidy knew all too well just how the little midget-man would react to having Cassidy's stuff suddenly appearing in his apartment. Nevertheless, maybe somewhere down the line this was something that he could think about, after all, the kid wasn't unattractive and just because Cassidy had no designs on getting into his pants didn't mean that he couldn't enjoy the view every now and then and that he should be denied the simple pleasures in life. Or unlife, or afterlife or whatever it's being called these days.

He picked up his phone and dialled Adam's number, smiling to himself when it rang and it was picked up fairly quickly. So he had been waiting for a phone call. Cassidy hated to disappoint him, but he was sure that Adam wouldn't mind a phone call from another cute brunette, even if it wasn't the Southern one he might have been expecting.

"Hey Adam, it's Cassidy, from the other night, remember?... Yeah, about that, I'm sorry I had to run, I just- I get headaches and sometimes they kinda come outta nowhere... Me? I'm a designer, you?... A singer, awesome. Yeah, so I was wondering if you- How'd I get the number? Oh, I stole it from Kristopher. You know him? How weird, I live opposite him! Well, yeah, you wanna come over? You guys can catch up and we can get to know each other a little better. Sounds good. See you then."

Huh. So apparently he was having Adam over for something that didn't immediately scream sex. How very strange. Cassidy had never done that before, not when he was alive and until now he hadn't had the chance as an Angel (dead, the term he was looking for was, but damn if he was going to use it in reference to Adam and/or his sex life because that was just crossing a line and Cassidy had rules about crossing lines, some lines, okay, maybe only the odd one or two but that was still a lot better than a lot of people out there).

He supposed he should get ready. After all, even though he was part of the Heavenly Host and all that, he was human and he got sweaty as much as the next man. Well, maybe not as much and not everyone's sweat smelt like flowers but hey, that was neither here nor there. Still, he enjoyed showering and playing with all the delightful products he'd convinced Kris to buy for him the first time they went shopping. Cassidy had wondered how he was going to continue to afford living like this when he figured he might as well send some of his sketches away for consideration and when he got a call back from a company called Skin.Graft, he was delighted, they were just what he was looking for and he found himself totally in love with their ideas and wanted to be a part of it. He even got paid for the designs straight away and dragged Kris kicking and screaming to the factory to see his designs being made, and then into the store to try them all on. He'd then spent two hours trying to convince the other men in the store that Kris wasn't his boyfriend, just a really good, and long-suffering friend who had only agreed to this because Cassidy had promised to leave him alone to watch the game or whatever it was that men who didn't like sparkly, fashionable clothes and make up did with their free time. It occurred to Cassidy that he didn't really know what Kris liked to do and occasionally it made him feel a little like he sucked as an angel.

But that was neither here nor there because before he knew it Adam was outside their building and asking to be buzzed up and Cassidy felt that he wasn't at all ready so he asked - read: begged - Kris to go down and let Adam in so that he had a few extra minutes to get ready. After all, he had to look awesome for the hot guy and he really didn't look all that awesome without trying. Granted, he looked better than most people did just by rolling out of bed, but that wasn't enough, he had to look perfect. So what if he was an angel and Adam was Jewish? They believed in angels, right? Or did they just have prophets?

_You're not supposed to be dating,_ a voice chided him and he looked skyward again. His nose wrinkled and he wiggled his fingers at the ceiling, pretending to turn off the radio, or his cell phone or whatever the connection was that he had to the Almighty and the NDARS. Not that it worked particularly well, but Cassidy thought that he deserved props for trying. _It's not your life you're supposed to be fixing._

It wasn't like he wasn't fully aware of that. It was just that he wanted to have some fun and he'd been stuck in administrative limbo for ten years and that was a long time and now he was stuck babysitting some kid who couldn't even dress himself? It wasn't fair. He glanced at the clock. He figured Kris could keep Adam busy for about five minutes more so he had to get ready quickly. He ignored the way his head was buzzing, demanding that he pick up the celestial call.

In hindsight, he shouldn't have done because just as he was applying eyeliner (and yeah he could have done it using his powers to shift his own look just by the sheer force of his awesome will alone he actually enjoyed putting on eyeliner and make up and getting dressed) he felt something tugging on his wings and the next thing he knew, he was kneeling on the floor, short of breath and confused as fuck in front of Allison in the NDARS reception area.

"What in the actual fuck?"

\+ + +

Kris had shifted from foot to foot as he pushed the button and waited for the doorman to let Adam up. The security in the building had increased over the past few days because of some asshole threatening to blow stuff up. That and one of Kris' exes had a key and they'd had to change all the locks because he was mental and Cassidy possessed this insane ability to piss people off by just existing and charm everyone by smiling all at the same time. Kris thought he was actually kind of a sucky angel because of that fact alone.

That and he was supposed to be down here picking Adam up himself instead of sending Kris. Kris was his charge, shouldn't Cassidy be pulling fate's strings or something instead of getting laid by the guy that Kris actually quite liked? There was something seriously wrong there, he knew that much too.

Adam had clearly come with the idea of...something because there was no way that people just walked out of the house looking that fabulous. He didn't have as much make up on as he normally did when they saw each other, but that was possibly something to do with the fact that when they did meet up - unintentionally, mind, because they'd never really spoken past the few (admittedly amazing) conversations they'd had in the past and a few cups of coffee when Serendipity deemed it fit to put them both in the same place at the same time - the location was always a bar or a club and Adam usually had some hot young thing hanging off his arm.

Kris was reminded once again of just how out of his league this stunningly hot man was. After all, Adam liked guys like Cassidy, outgoing and _very_ obviously gay, with the sparkles and the skin tight clothes and the ridiculous fashion sense. Kris would argue until the day that he died that there was nothing wrong with jeans that didn't reveal which side you dressed on and there was definitely nothing wrong with plaid, and that yes, he did have more stuff in his wardrobe than just plaid shirt, they just happened to be his favourite.

"Cassidy's just- He's getting ready," Kris offered lamely to Adam who lifted his shoulder and didn't look all that put out.

"So he sent you down here to get me or what?" Adam asked, looking a little amused as Kris just rolled his eyes and turned on his heel, fiddling with the hem at the bottom of his shirt after thumbing the button for the elevator to come to them. "Are you the in-house entertainment? C'mon Kris, anyone would think you weren't glad to see me."

Kris waited for the elevator to ping. "That's not it at all, it's just weird, you turning up at my building. We've never really spoken past the superficial stuff that gets said whenever we do meet up, situations and places that are completely random, by the way because I don't know about you, but I never go out with the intention of meeting up with Adam Lambert." He gave a small smile that was more self-deprecating than any Adam had ever seen before and for some reason it made the man's heart tug painfully. "And I definitely think that you've got better things to be doing with your time than going out of your way to accidentally bump into Kris Allen."

"Allen?" Adam repeated, realising that even though they'd known of each other for quite some time, he'd never known Kris' surname. The man was short, shorter than the guys that Adam was usually attracted to but there was something charming, something completely adorable about him and Adam had been fascinated from the first awkward quirking of Kris' lips in his general direction. Adam was only human, his mind had jumped straight into the gutter and had a tendency to do that whenever he looked at Kris for too long. "Did not know that."

"Well, now you do." Kris thumbed the button for his floor impatiently, "Cassidy's being all diva-like, by the way," he offered. In another world, or another life, Kris knew that he'd never be friends with someone like Cassidy - or Adam, for that matter. They were both so outgoing, so flamboyant. Kris didn't feel uncomfortable, not at all, but he felt intimidated and he didn't think that he'd ever have gotten the courage to talk to either of them had he not spilt a margarita over Adam the first time they'd met and if Cassidy wasn't his guardian angel.

Of course, he always felt, after about ten minutes of talking to Adam, that he and Adam should always be talking because Adam was awesome. He knew how to make Kris laugh - and Kris knew how to make him laugh and more to the point _enjoyed_ making Adam laugh - and even though they were both so different, diametrically opposite in almost every way it was possible to be, they always found common ground and they got on well.

As Cassidy didn't answer his door when Kris knocked, he lead Adam into his apartment instead. "I know it's not- I mean, I wasn't expecting company," he admitted, flushed cheeks and rubbing the back of his head again, fingers scratching the base of his skull. The apartment wasn't messy by any stretch of the word, just a little... chaotic. It looked like Kris had been tidying, or rearranging, perhaps, papers strewn everywhere and his guitar - and Adam didn't know he played - resting on the couch. "I'll just- uh, God, I'm sorry this place is so untidy."

"It's fine," Adam said, quick to reassure Kris that it wasn't such a problem, "I kinda prefer places that look lived in, you know?" And this place definitely was that. Very lived in. Even though Kris had only been in LA for less than a year, the apartment felt homey. Far more homey than it had any right to because Adam was a stranger to Kris, effectively, what right did he have to feel like he was almost at home in his apartment? It was kind of creepy.

Kris didn't seem to mind and he just offered Adam a smile. "Do you want anything to drink? I don't have any cocktails or anything, normally I just drink beer... Cassidy's the one that has all the interesting drinks."

Adam chuckled, "A beer's fine," though it really wasn't because beer was never his thing. He drank it when there was absolutely nothing else, but it was definitely not his drink of choice. When Kris handed him a cool bottle and their fingers brushed, Adam took several long pulls of the drink anyway, throat working. He didn't notice the way Kris' gaze moved from his lips around the lip of the bottle to the powerful way his throat was moving as he swallowed.

Kris looked away, rolling his bottle between his palms and taking a small sip before picking at the label.

"So how do you know Cassidy anyway?" Adam asked finally, "I know you guys live across the hall from each other, but it sounds like you know each other real well..." There was something in Adam's question, something just underneath the surface that hinted he was looking for a specific answer, but what that was Kris didn't know, so he couldn't provide Adam with it. He wished he could.

"He picked me up in a bar." Kris offered honestly, "Then he moved in opposite me. We spend a stupid amount of time together." Considering he was pretty sure that he couldn't tell Adam that Cassidy was his guardian angel, he figured the next best thing was appropriate. He saw something flicker across Adam's gaze, deep in those blue eyes but it was gone quicker than Kris could categorise it. He guessed confusion.

"Oh. So you guys...?" Adam waved the hand that was holding the beer bottle at Kris as if he was trying to communicate using some sort of bottle-sign language and Kris' forehead creased in confusion.

"Us guys what?" he asked, definitely letting his expression be categorised as confusion as he took a sip of his drink. Adam's eyebrow lifted, an expression that should in no way have been as hot as it was, "You- oh! No, God no, Cassidy would probably break down in hives at the thought of dating me." He gave a tiny grin and Adam found himself laughing, whether through relief or a little bit of embarrassment at having thought something like that neither one of them was sure.

In fact, it was more relief than anything else that had Adam laughing. He'd been so convinced for a second there that Cassidy and Kris were trying this whole... relationship thing and if that were the case then he was pretty sure the world did hate him. After all, Cassidy was impossibly gorgeous - and just Adam's type - and Kris was impossibly cute - and also kind of Adam's type though not completely because Adam didn't usually go for guys in plaid, or guys that could pass as being straight.

"I'm glad the idea of me being boyfriend material amuses you so much," Kris huffed, folding his arms and taking another drink of his beer and it just made Adam laugh harder because there was definitely something adorable about the pout of Kris' lower lip and the way that the corner of his mouth kept twitching like it was repressing a huge smile or a laugh of its own. "Seriously, I'm gonna end up, like, mentally scarred. Between you and Cassidy I'll just go become a monk or something."

Adam snorted, taking a moment just to calm the fuck down because he knew it was probably a little mean to be laughing. Not that he could help it, of course. "Sorry, Kris, it's just- it was less what you said and more how you said it, you know?" he tried lamely, biting on the inside of his lower lip as Kris continued to manage to convincingly look unimpressed. There was something in the hazel eyes, though.

"So you're mocking the way I speak now?" Kris asked and Adam had a disturbing flashback to arguing with Sally Jenkins in the fourth grade where she managed to turn everything he was saying back on him to really make him sound like the bad guy when all he'd been trying to do was give her some simple - and nice - fashion tips. He'd never noticed before, but Kris had a slight accent too, Southern and man was that ever unfair too.

"No- I- Quit that turning the argument around thing," he grumbled, taking another drink of his beer that was now at least three quarters empty. He'd drunk that a lot faster than he'd intended to, that was for sure. Whoops? "You know what I mean, besides, you're both cute and you can't blame me for indulging in some kinda nice mental imagery for a couple of minutes, right?"

Kris' cheeks coloured. Honestly, he'd never thought of Cassidy that way, partly because of the fact that Cassidy was an angel and partly because Kris didn't really go for that kind of guy, Cassidy annoyed him. Can't rightly have sex with someone that annoys you. He knew Adam was doing it to get a reaction out of him and Kris certainly didn't disappoint.

"I'm kidding," Adam said after having figured out that Kris wasn't all that averse to the idea of two men sharing a bed in any sense of the word (which made him feel infinitely better, even though he was well aware that just because Kris had apparently at least a little bit of queer in him it didn't mean he was instantly going to let Adam jump his bones, but if he kept tonguing his lower lip like that and playing with the label on the beer bottle, Adam could not be held responsible for any though-the-floor-fucking that might occur).

"Damn straight," Kris muttered, lips quirking into an infuriatingly cute smirk as he stressed the word 'straight'. "Besides, like I said, I'm not Cassidy's type. Where is he anyway?"

A cursory glance at the clock told him that Cassidy should have come to see him already, to take Adam off his hands so that he could have his wicked way with the six foot tall hot man that was drinking Kris' beer.

"He's your friend, why're you asking me?"

"Well, you're his date," Kris offered offhandedly and it was the first time either of them had brought up what Cassidy had invited Adam over for and there was a moment of awkwardness between them, like that wasn't what it was supposed to be at all. Or even if that was what it was supposed to be, that wasn't what Adam wanted from the whole situation, in fact, Adam looked more relaxed in Kris' lounge.

Kris cleared his throat, suddenly uncomfortable and he got to his feet. At some point he'd sat down next to Adam and their knees had touched, and he rested one hand just above Adam's knee to push himself to his feet, apologising sheepishly.

"Don't," Adam muttered, curling his fingers around Kris' wrist. If the guy was really uncomfortable, he could pull away easily, but the gentle tug that Adam was giving drew Kris back to a seated position on the couch and their hands rested between them, Adam's long fingers curled around Kris' wrist.

"Don't what?" Kris asked, voice catching a little, though why he didn't understand. He swallowed, tongue wetting his lower lip and he wondered when he'd been pushed back into the chair and the cushions in his sofa. He had made eye contact with Adam and now he was pretty sure he'd never be able to look away because the guy's eyes were intense, intense and focused on Kris and nothing else.

"I'm not sure," Adam admitted. Kris' gaze was drawn to Adam's mouth as it twisted into a small smile and a surge of _want_ ran through him so fast that if he hadn't been sitting down he would have had to before he fell and made an ass of himself.

The hand on Kris' wrist had slid up to the inside of his elbow. Kris felt the touch like a brand through the sleeve of his shirt and he swallowed again. It felt hard to breathe, hard to think past Adam in front of him and how intense this whole thing felt right now. His throat worked, suddenly dry and parched and the beer was forgotten on the table, condensation slipping down the edge of the glass and leaving a little puddle at the bottom near the base of the bottle. Kris wondered if he would end up just a puddle of condensation should anything happen because Adam was way out of his league. Way out.

Whatever was going to happen, Kris found himself just running with it. Adam's other hand had reached over, fingers curled in the front of his shirt and moved him closer. Kris had gone like a pliant doll, unable to argue and unwilling to do so to boot because there was just something... incredible about the way that Adam was looking at him that made him feel good inside and that maybe this was the right thing to be doing. Thoughts that he was Cassidy's date didn't quite occur to him as he found himself leaning in, less than an inch between their faces and Kris could feel Adam's uneven breaths against his mouth.

This was it, he was thinking to himself as Adam's eyes slipped between looking into Kris' and down at Kris' mouth, it was actually going to happen. But at the last minute, Kris felt the alarm bells going off in his mind. Cassidy should be the one here, Cassidy was the kind of boy that Adam liked, not Kris, Kris might have been cute or whatever but he wasn't right. And sure, Cassidy was an angel who totally wasn't supposed to be having sex with the guy of Kris' dreams, but whatever, right?

He leaned back, forcing his eyes open from the half-closed state that Adam's proximity had put them into and tried to calm his treacherous heartbeat down, make his hand let go of Adam's forearm. "We- I need to check on Cassidy," he offered lamely, because it was lame, it was lame as fuck and they both knew it. "He shoulda called by now."

The look that moved across Adam's face was definitely disappointment that time and he just nodded, disappointed and probably a little embarrassed because Kris was getting off the couch and nearly tripping over his feet to get out the door and across the hall.

"Shit," Adam muttered, rubbing his hand over his face. What had he been thinking anyway? That the cute, perfect guy would just fall for him straight away and not consider anything or anyone else? Forget that Adam was there to see his _friend_ (which did make Adam feel like a bitch to be honest because Cassidy seemed cool enough and maybe something might happen but Kris had been right there and Adam had wanted so very badly) and just let Adam manhandle him? Adam didn't even understand why he wanted to manhandle Kris, only that the kid had been in his thoughts since that first time that they'd met in that ill-fated club when he'd been trying to get away from an admirer. Since then Kris had haunted him. Stupid of him to think that Kris might have been suffering in the same way, right? Yeah, he thought as much. Besides, Kris was way too good to be some kind of rebound screw, Adam knew that already and, scary as it was, he knew that if anything were to happen with Kris he would want it to be more than a one time thing. He'd like it to be a several time thing, a several hundred time thing to be precise, he'd love that very much. But that was lame, he knew it was lame.

Outside in the hallway Kris was curling sock-clad toes against the rough carpet and standing right in the middle of the walkway. If Mrs Halloway from upstairs tried to get past him with her pull-along grocery cart she'd have issues, and if Mr Cowell from the floor below wanted to know what the racket was about then Kris would just shout at him and wait for him to go downstairs before convincing Adam that they should put on big shoes and stomp around Kris' living room. Adam would as well, Kris remembered the first time they met and Adam had been in those intimidating silver platform boots, grabbed Kris by the hand and pulled him against his chest, muttering 'please just run with this, you'll be saving my life' into his ear. Kris hadn't been able to stop thinking about it since then, even though he'd been convinced nothing else would ever happen. Of course then the guy started stalking him, or as close to stalking as one could do without actually, you know, stalking. Adam just started turning up everywhere 'unintentionally'. If Kris believed in either fate or coincidence, he'd have a whole different take on the matter. As it was, it was just kind of inconvenient. He and Adam were like oil and water. They looked good together but didn't mix.

"Damnit," he muttered, raking his fingers through his already mussed hair and he convinced himself he didn't want to know what it would feel like to have Adam's fingers buried deep in his hair. Or anywhere else, for that matter. Kris' cheeks went scarlet and he finally walked over to Cassidy's door, knocking on it three times.

There was no answer, and in fact it was unlocked. He called back to Adam that he was just going to check that Cassidy hadn't poked himself in the eye by accident or fallen and cracked his head on something whilst he'd been applying glitter to his eyebrows or whatever it was Cassidy did with his spare time when he was getting ready to go out.

It was with a distinct feeling of dread that Kris entered the apartment and found it completely empty. Cassidy wasn't there, but the liquid eyeliner was in the sink, having spilt and dribbled down the sink and Cassidy was not going to be happy when he came back and found that. But Kris didn't feel as alone as he had done before he met Cassidy, that feeling of warmth and protection that the man exuded - even if it was often veiled by Kris' frustration at Cassidy's arrogance or tactlessness, or Kris' embarrassment at being seen with him when he was talking (very loudly) about how women have the best shoes and if he was a woman he'd probably but a pair of Christian Louboutins and never take them off because the trademark red sole was to die for. Even when he was being obnoxious and annoying and irritating Kris still felt reassured by his presence, like he wasn't alone and that maybe everything might be alright, so he guessed that meant that Cassidy would be coming back. Soon, hopefully because there was no way that Kris could entertain Adam for much longer without things getting weird and any chance of an awesome friendship - that Kris just knew they could have if they tried - would be ruined.

"Cassidy? C'mon man, this isn't cool. Your date's waiting in my apartment and you pick now to go off and check in?" He looked at the ceiling, feeling kind of stupid. He was talking to no-one, after all, and scowling up at the ceiling like Cassidy might just drop down outta there if Kris kept looking at it like that. "Fine. Fine, but you better come back soon and remove your date from my couch before we both decide that you're not coming back and he has his wicked way with me instead."

The words slipped out of Kris' mouth before he could stop himself and he was, for a few seconds, very glad that Cassidy wasn't around because there was no way that he would have been allowed to live that one down if Cassidy had heard it or seen the following reaction. He cleared his throat. "Just hurry back, okay? I can't stall him for too much longer."

He sighed and turned on his heel to head back to his own apartment, wondering if Adam liked movies, maybe they could watch one, he thought that Adam might like Velvet Goldmine. He'd only watched it once, with Cassidy, he might add, and thought it was a bit weird, but it seemed like the kind of thing that Adam might appreciate so he would suggest it. That would kill some time for Cassidy to return from wherever it was he had been summoned to.

"Looks like it's taking the Princess even longer to get ready than we thought, he's just tryna battle off a migraine," Kris lied, though not very convincingly because he sucked at lying and he mentally ripped Cassidy a new one and told his Heavenly protector that he was owed big time for doing this. "You wanna watch a movie?"

Adam just looked at Kris for a moment like he was trying to work out if it should be weird between them, but Kris looked so earnest with the movie request that any thoughts he might have had about leaving kind of disappeared and instead he found himself nodding, watching the way that Kris fiddled with the hem of his shirt nervously.

"I saw your guitar was out," Adam offered after a moment as Kris walked over towards his DVD collection. "I didn't know you played."

"I used to," Kris said softly, "I don't so much anymore."

"How come?"

"Don't know," he admitted, "Just don't feel the music anymore, I guess." It was a lame excuse, and it was a bunch of bullshit because there were days when Kris knew there was a song in his heart that needed to come out but there was a block somewhere, that well that had been so full when he'd been with Katy had been blocked and sometimes the water fought against the blockade, but mostly it just ended up submitting and falling silent again. "Haven't really played in ages, I was just tuning her up, keeps the strings in a better condition if she's tuned regularly."

"Uh huh," Adam murmured, looking like he wanted to reach out and touch the instrument but was too afraid. "I've never been able to play anything, I mean, I tried, but I guess my musical talent isn't in my fingers."

"No?" Kris asked, turning on his heel again to look at Adam curiously. Music fascinated him and it was right - of course it was - that Adam was into music too. He ignored the obvious innuendo that would come from this conversation about talented fingers and making music out of people to focus on what Adam was good at. "What is then?"

"I can sing, I guess, but my hands are good for other things," he winked and Kris had been expecting it so he could just roll his eyes and throw a soft cork coaster at Adam's head, making the older man laugh softly and dodge it, throwing it back. It bounced off Kris' back, clearly not bothering him at all.

"I'd love to hear you some time," Kris said honestly as he pulled a couple of DVDs out of the cabinet and put them on the coffee table for Adam to choose from. "Really."

Adam met Kris' eyes and his lips curled up into another small smile, affectionate and happy this time as opposed to anything else he'd seen. "Yeah? I'd like that." He looked at the DVDs on the table and got to his feet, "I don't, however, like these. I'm not _that_ gay, you don't have to cater to my tastes, I like explosions as much as any guy, not to say I don't enjoy the odd bout of Priscilla or Velvet Goldmine, but I'm thinking maybe something a little more..." he trailed off, trying to think of the word he wanted.

"...straight?" Kris supplied cheekily as he came to stand beside Adam, his shoulder brushing Adam's upper arm as the older man perused his movie collection.

Adam laughed and swatted Kris upside the head, "I was thinking 'manly', but I guess 'straight' works just as well." He grinned and pulled out Die Hard 4.0. "It might be corporate crap but it's got Bruce Willis in it and you can't go wrong with him, besides, Justin Long is cute and so's the guy that plays the bad guy." He handed the DVD to Kris and went to sit down again, making himself comfortable on the couch, ridiculously long legs and all.

Whilst Kris crouched down to put the DVD in the player, he heard Adam comment quietly, "I think I'd like to hear you play at some point too."

"...Maybe," Kris said softly and he surprised himself by actually meaning it.

\+ + +

"What in the actual fuck?"

Allison rolled her eyes behind the counter and got to her feet. "Watch your language, you're not supposed to swear up here, dumbass," she grinned and winked at him before she walked around to the front of the desk that Cassidy was pretty much convinced she lived behind.

"I just- I'm- What the hell am I doing here? I wasn't supposed to be called back." He looked confused for a moment and then horrified, "Oh God, I have a date! Allison, you gotta put me back there I've got someone waiting to talk to me and see me and he's so hot and gorgeous and it-"

She held up a hand and just presented him with a file. It was fairly thick and on the front it read _The Rules_.

He wrinkled his nose. "Are you kidding me? I can't read this. It'll take me a month and I don't have that long." It was nice, though, he did have to admit, to find that even though he was really far away from Kris, it didn't hurt. At least this place would always be a haven for him, he supposed. Though there was little to no chance of sex up here for him so he wasn't sure how that arrangement would work in reality. He liked sex, just because he was an angel didn't mean that he couldn't have it anymore, right?

"Better get started then," Allison said, "Because you're not allowed to go back down until you've signed the little letter at the back that tells my bosses that you've remembered what your job down there does and does not entail. Making dates with the love of your charge's life is definitely in the section marked "Not Something Cassidy Is Supposed To Be Doing". Just so you know." She winked at him and bounced back behind her desk, so cute and infuriating with her perky attitude and her fiery red hair and the fact that she was allowed to dye her wings. Cassidy was pretty sure that was against the rules, but then again, apparently what did he know?

Sulking was never a look that sat well with Cassidy though, he always worried that one day he'd be sulking away happily to himself and then he'd get wrinkles or some shit like that and that would have been terrible. So with that in mind - never mind that he would never get old now, angel and all that - he turned on his heel and flopped down onto a conveniently placed bean-bag that moulded to his shape perfectly, stretched out his wings (and he had to admit the freedom to do that was nice too) and settled down to read. He wondered if he should have glasses on the end of his nose or something while he did, it might make him look more professional. Instead he just settled for licking the tip of his index finger, shooting a glare at one of the department heads as they glided past and got reading.

The rule book was filled with things that were both completely relevant to Cassidy's predicament and others that weren't at all important and he had no idea why they were there. For example, the whole section of rules on what to do if you were to accidentally father a child whilst down on earth (which would be in direct violation of rule number fourteen by the way:   


* _14.1 A Guardian Angel shall not, under any circumstances, have any kind of intercourse with a human, male or female.  
_
* _14.2 A Guardian Angel will not under any circumstances go looking for sexual pleasure from unseemly places, people, animals or beings._
). He browsed through several sections on how to behave when down as a human, how he wasn't supposed to contact his family or friends from when he was alive (and how much of a shit was he that the thought hadn't even occurred to him?) and that he was supposed to just fulfill his purpose and that was it. Nowhere did it say how he was supposed to do that, or even what his purpose was. The only guideline he had was ridiculous and vague, as everything up here was. No wonder he'd ended up spending ten years hanging around in limbo whilst his paperwork was being filed, lost, sorted, checked, double checked, sent back etc. 
* _105.3 The reasoning for Direct Angelic Intervention into a Charge's life will not always be obvious, but an Angel shall know when His duty has been fulfilled as he will receive the summons from the Office to return Home._

Cassidy eyed the passage again and wondered what was up with the random capitalisation. It wasn't like it was completely necessary, he'd never been told that he had been sent down to earth for a DAI, and it sounded more like some kind of acronym for arresting someone for being drunk instead of someone needing their guardian angel to come down and save their ass from certain doom. Not that he thought Kris' ass needed saving from certain doom. His wardrobe, definitely, but not doom.

And considering there was no imminent doom in Kris Allen's future, Cassidy thought that it was perfectly acceptable that he wanted to sow his wild oats, or something like that. Not that there were any wild oats to sow since he wouldn't be fucking any women, just men and when last he checked, assbabies weren't actually physically possible. He flicked through the rule book that was on his lap; he was about halfway through it and it felt like it had taken him forever to slog through and he ached because he just knew he was missing out on an awesome evening with Adam Lambert for this.

Stupid rules.

Stupid Kris Allen.

Stupid hot Adam Lambert.

He spent what felt like three days reading that book, trying to work his way through the tome, wondering if his eyes were actually falling out of his head or if it just felt like that. Finally he reached the last page and found that there was, in fact, a little slip for him to sign.

It read: _I, Cassidy Haley have read the enclosed rules and hereby do agree to follow them and not have sex with the man that my charge is hopelessly in love with, even if he hasn't realised it yet._

...............................................................................................

Cassidy looked up at Allison and lifted one perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "You didn't happen to write this, did you?" he asked suspiciously when she grinned at him and hid her giggle behind her hands.

"No?" she offered, wetting her lower lip and winking at him. "It's true love and you know it, don't get in the way just because you've got ten years of sexual tension to work off. There's this real cool invention called internet porn, or you know, you could just use your imagination."

Cassidy just looked at her, his expression was one that he was sure was absolutely priceless. Instead of saying anything - because even though she was an angel too, she couldn't have been more than seventeen or eighteen when she died, all fiery hair and bubbly personality and unnaturally dark eyes - he just got to his feet and put the rule book down in front of her, holding out his hand for a pen.

"Don't ever talk about my sex life again," he grumbled, signing his name on the line. He was half expecting the ink to be red, some kind of blood pact that he was signing with his soul or something, but no, it was just a standard blue biro and Cassidy wondered why he even needed a pen considering that they were all dead and since his soul was up here anyway, why did he need to go signing contracts? "But here, now what happens?"

Allison just winked at him and tore the back page out of the rule book. "You can take that with you if you want," she offered, pushing it towards him and he kind of just held it in his hands stupidly, confused as anything as to what was happening now.

"Take it where?" he asked, but she just smiled enigmatically and wiggled her fingers in a half wave. "Wha-"

Of course, all he heard was a cheerful "Bye!" from Allison as the ground dropped out beneath him and he felt like he was falling. He didn't even have a chance to spread his wings to slow his descent before he was back in his apartment, on his couch with a huge leather-bound book on his lap. Weird, it had been a lever arch file upstairs.

He eyed it for a second before he lifted it and put it on top of a nearby bookcase and looked at the time.

It was just after midnight. Goddamnit, he'd missed any chance of a date and hot sex now and he was hungry and craving pizza and nachos and something else that he couldn't quite put his finger on. He wrinkled his nose and brushed himself down, checked that the glamour was on his wings so that they weren't seen and headed across the hallway to Kris' apartment.

He wasn't expecting to see what he did once he opened the door and announced his presence like he was hoping Kris had a marching band awaiting his arrival. Sitting on the couch were Adam and Kris, though 'sitting' was somewhat of a misnomer because they were more slouched, Adam stretched out along the length with one leg, the other on the floor and Kris had slumped to the side, at some point wriggling underneath Adam's arm and they fitted together like they belonged there. Both of them were breathing slow and steady and Kris' glasses had been carefully taken off him and put on the table.

Of course Kris had fallen asleep first. The guy was like a little kid, but he did have to fall asleep on the first hot guy Cassidy had seen since he'd fallen back down to earth who he was hoping to get lucky with. They were cuddling. _Cuddling_! That just wasn't fair. Cassidy had had to spend the last God only knows how many hours reading through the most boring rule book in existence to find that his date for the night had fallen asleep and was cuddling with his charge. It was a somewhat anti-climactic end to an evening that had been pretty monumentally shitty as a whole, but Cassidy figured he couldn't hold it against them, he'd been the one that had left them in the lurch, after all. It was his fault that they'd spent the evening together talking and laughing and watching movies (Die Hard 4? Good God, he would need to have a serious talk with Kris about what films he was watching) and probably getting to know each other intimately.

Angels weren't supposed to feel jealous, and Cassidy supposed that he didn't, not really, more put out than anything because his plans hadn't gone the way he wanted them to and he hated it when his plans went awry. For real. There was just something inherently unfair about the whole thing but he couldn't complain and he certainly didn't want to wake them up right now. He still had the whole Heavenly Host thing going on, how he always had that slight glow after being Summoned that took forever and a day to go away and as cute as Adam was Cassidy was pretty sure that not even Adam Lambert was ready to know that angels were real. And he had decided that not all angels were bad either: Ryan seemed a bit of a hard ass but the way he always smiled at Allison and treated the people in his offices gave away just how much he really cared, and Cassidy thought that Kara was the most lovely, sweet Angel anyone could hope to meet. Whoever she had as her Charge was lucky, she just seemed... blessed. Though she did look like she had a temper and Cassidy was definitely keen to bear that in mind. He presumed that she, too, stayed up in the offices or influenced her Charge in a far more subtle way. Not many angels were told they had to actually go down and get directly involved in the lives of their charges. Cassidy supposed he was special.

So instead of waking them, he did the only decent thing he could think of and went hunting for a blanket big enough to cover both of them. Not that there was one, considering Adam was huge and Kris was tiny so he only had tiny blankets. Cassidy had to make do: he grabbed two, a blanket and then the double duvet from Kris' bed. When Adam stirred a little, Cassidy cupped his cheek with one hand, thumb brushing gently over his cheekbone to soothe him back to sleep and he ruffled Kris' mussed hair once for good measure. Reassured that neither of them would be dying of hypothermia overnight, he then turned on his heel and walked out of Kris' apartment, praising himself on not meddling and locked the door.

His own apartment was kind of cold, and The Rule Book was still sitting where he'd left it, ominous and almost throbbing with Celestial Importance (and he was doing it himself, thinking in random capitals, what was up with that?!) but he ignored it in favour of going to bed and faceplanting into the sheets. They were soft and satin-y and smelt like honeysuckle and vanilla. He loved his washing powder. Kicking off his boots, he crawled under the covers fully dressed. Angels in human form got tired too, and Cassidy was exhausted. Reading always made him tired, it was why he'd never done all that well at school even though he'd excelled in art and design. Skin.Graft seemed to like his designs well enough, maybe he was getting a second chance too, by being down here, to live out his dream, the one that was robbed from him the day he died. After all, he'd been on his way to an interview, sketchbook and portfolio in hand, a little drunk for courage (at least, that was what he was telling himself; he didn't have an alcohol problem, no) when that asshole had hit him.

"Mm, sleep," he muttered into the pillow, still face down as he tugged the sheets over his head. He could deal with whatever happened next in the morning as long as he got a full eight hours beauty sleep. He might as well go for the beauty sleep thing because he certainly wasn't going to get the _just fucked senseless_ kind of sleep, at all if the rule book was to be believed. Though the rules that were strictly prohibiting the creating of half-angel children and assbabies were certainly not real. As effeminate as some gay men were, they definitely did not possess wombs. Cassidy grossed himself out for a moment, thinking about how men would give birth before he felt queasy and squeezed his eyes shut again, deciding that sleep was the plan.

It was just his luck that his brain got fixated on the idea of male pregnancy and assbabies and that was all he dreamed about that night.

\+ + +

There was something strange about waking up somewhere you weren't quite entirely sure how you got there. It was with a mild sensation of panic that Kris awoke to find himself curled up against someone's chest with an arm around his shoulders, the thumping of someone's heart underneath his hand and a leg between his. His cheeks were scarlet, it had been so long since he'd gotten laid that he was reacting kind of... physically to the warm presence beside him.

They were on his couch. That much he knew and when he blinked and saw that there was a distinct lack of focus to his vision, he knew someone must have taken his glasses off the night before. A comforter was spread over him and his mysterious- No, wait, Kris felt even more embarrassed and stupid now because if his glasses had been removed and placed on the table or some other flat surface, that meant that he'd fallen asleep on whoever he'd been watching TV with last night. And that person was Adam. God, he'd been watching a movie with Adam and listening to the other man talking about anything and he must have just fallen asleep. He vaguely remembered the feeling of a hand drawing circles against his back and if that was the case then he could definitely be forgiven for falling asleep on him, but there was no way he could be forgiven for sporting the hard-on of the century when he should be waking with a crick in his neck and back and begging to be allowed to go to bed or have a hot shower or something.

He tipped his head up and saw that Adam was still fast asleep. Both of his arms had come around Kris during the night and it was going to be a feat worthy of Houdini himself if Kris was going to get free without waking him. The Southerner squashed down this impulse he had to kiss the curve of Adam's jaw, or where the pulse fluttered underneath the skin. He knew it did, his nose had been pressed against it all night and he also knew that Adam's cologne clung to the skin there along with something that was just indefinably Adam. He wet his lower lip, blinking slowly and lifting his head, trying to untangle himself from the other man's ridiculously long limbs.

Why hadn't Cassidy come back? Where had he gone? Obviously, he'd left to check in with whoever his boss was up in Heaven, or whatever administrative building the guardian angels went to, but since time had no meaning to them, could they not have waited until the end of the evening to steal him away?

Crisis about Cassidy aside, Kris had a rather more pressing concern and that was to get out of this compromising position before he awoke the ridiculously hot man and embarrassing himself forever and ever due to the fact that he'd ended up aroused from _couch cuddling_. It wasn't like he wasn't already mortified due to the whole falling asleep on Adam thing which totally shouldn't have happened, so this would just be an insult to the already gaping injury.

Hand flat on Adam's chest, feeling the thumping of his heart beneath his palm, Kris carefully levered himself up. Adam's hands (warm and huge, Kris' traitorous mind helpfully pointed out) slid down his side and back until one of them rested at the curve of Kris' spine. The long, painted fingers flexed in Kris' shirt. "Ssh," he muttered, really trying not to wake up Adam as he moved his leg and started to slide away. It was completely ungraceful; Kris was kind of trapped and ended up having to escape over the top of the couch so as not to wake Adam, replacing the blankets and going towards his bathroom to take a very cold shower and not jerk off.

The thing was, they'd actually had a really good night last night. A smile came to Kris' lips, quirking them in the corner as he put the coffee on in the kitchen - having decided that coffee was first, and making coffee was so mundane and ordinary that it was bound to help with Kris' early morning problem - thinking about the way they'd laughed the night before. More than that, they'd actually talked, Adam told Kris about Brad, this guy he'd been totally in love with but had broken his heart and in return Kris talked about Katy, his high school sweetheart and the first person he was ever with and how she broke his heart. After regaling each other with sob stories they joked about relationships, Adam had tried this thing with some guy named Drake, but it didn't work out, Kris had briefly dated someone named Cale but again, it was just doomed to failure; he'd met Cassidy the night that Cale had broken up with him. Not that he mentioned that particular tidbit.

Bonding over past relationships and broken hearts paved the way to talking about other things, a shared love of music, for instance, how Adam loved the stage but felt like he was supposed to be somewhere else to share his gift and Kris talked about how he had lost the music when Katy and his relationship had broken down. It was still there, he just couldn't access it. He'd made some lame analogy about how it was almost like Katy had the key to Kris' successful music and when she'd gone she'd taken the only copy with him and he hadn't met a locksmith that could open it all up again yet. He'd felt stupid as all hell afterwards because how girly did that sound? But Adam had kind of looked at him, soft and almost understanding as he'd nodded his head and given a small smile, saying maybe one day Kris would find that person, and maybe it would be unexpected, but wasn't that when love always found you?

They'd put on several movies, eaten popcorn that Kris had somehow managed to burn and just sat comfortably on the couch. He remembered getting sleepy, slumping over to rest his head on Adam's shoulder. At some point, too, he'd felt Adam lifting his arm, letting Kris settle against his chest. But it had all felt very normal, like he'd been created to curl up in that space at Adam's side underneath his arm, fitting together like puzzle pieces. Kris rolled his eyes at himself, that was really stupidly girly. He was never going to get a relationship if he kept getting hung up on people he could never have. Adam was a nice guy, a nice, tactile guy and Kris was a physical affection junkie. A bad combination, but one that Kris figured he could quite easily work with should he wish to. Even if they were just going to be friends. Friends he could do. He wanted to be friends with Adam. His overactive libido aside (he just needed to get laid, clearly, not that it was awkward for him to do so or anything because he liked to be in a relationship with the person he's screwing and relationships were hard to find in LA), he wanted an awesome kind of friendship with Adam that he knew they'd be able to have.

And if they got to keep hanging together even after Cassidy and Adam do whatever it was they were going to do the night before and didn't get around to, then that was fine too. Kris wasn't just coming out of a break up, but he loved physical affection and he knew that he sometimes mistook feelings of affection for something else, and he wasn't going to make that mistake here. Not when Adam was awesome and friendly and everything that Kris needed in LA because it was a mean place and mostly the shallow, self-absorbed people sucked a lot and he felt lonely and working in a music store just wasn't the same as actually making music. But like he'd said to Adam, the music had been locked up. Sometimes a few notes or the odd word escaped the shackles, slipping through the keyhole but mostly it was just awkward, tuneless noise that came spluttering out of his fingers when he tried to play so he'd stopped. No music at all was better than crappy music, right?

Thankfully the act of making coffee seemed to calm down Kris' libido and made him feel far less humiliated over the whole situation as Adam was, when he poked his head back into the lounge, still sleeping on the couch, though he'd wriggled again, the blanket now around his waist, one arm stretched above his head to reveal - which was cruel, so very cruel and Kris' libido valiantly tried to stir itself again at the sight - a strip of pale skin above the waistband of his jeans, and yes, Kris allowed himself a moment to consider that it was kind of gross that they'd both fallen asleep in their clothes and stayed that way until morning. He plucked at his t-shirt and resolved to change just as soon as Adam was awake. The coffee pot clicked and filled the apartment with the glorious smell of freshly brewed coffee and Kris rubbed at his eyes, dislodging his glasses just for a moment to rid himself of those last vestiges of sleep that still desperately clung to the edges of his vision.

He pulled his head back into the kitchen and away from perving on his new friend as he slept, pouring two cups of coffee. He hesitated, not knowing how Adam liked his coffee so he just left it, near the pot so that it would stay warm. Fixing his own with milk and sugar, he tipped his head when he heard the front door open and then close again.

Something approaching disappointment swept through him because maybe Adam had woken up, freaked out and then decided that he wanted to leave. That maybe he was so freaked out by it all (though, rationally, Kris didn't know why he would be considering they had a fun night and nothing untoward happened and considering Adam's... reputation then _nothing_ should freak him out) that leaving was the only option.

He turned on his heel and looked at the other coffee on the bench and felt a pang of sympathy for it. Now it was going to be poured down the drain, lost forever and never enjoyed or loved or drank.

"Is that coffee? Please tell me that's a spare cup of fucking coffee. I just dreamed about assbabies and fairies and there's a hot guy asleep on your couch and just tell me that's fucking coffee."

Kris rolled his eyes and lifted his cup to his mouth, ignoring the odd pang of relief that Adam had hung around. "That's fucking coffee," he deadpanned, barely turning his head to look at Cassidy. "And it's not for you. If you want one, get yourself a cup and pour one. Or better yet, make one in your own apartment?" At Cassidy's look, Kris rolled his eyes and poured the angel a cup of coffee, pushing it towards him.

Cassidy grabbed the sugar and dumped about five spoonfuls of it into the cup, stirring it and then taking a long sip, ignoring the burn down his throat. He looked at Kris and wrinkled his nose, "Don't ask about the dreams. It's messed up, I may need therapy."

"You're an angel, I don't know if they have therapy for that," Kris teased as he took a sip of his own coffee. "Is- uh, is Adam still asleep?" he asked. "Where did you go last night anyway? I mean, I looked for you and you weren't in. Did they-" he looked up at the ceiling, "-inconvenient time for them to call you in for a meeting."

"That's what I said," Cassidy pouted into his coffee. "But yeah, I just had to fill out some paperwork."

"There's paperwork in heaven?" Kris asked skeptically.

"Not in _Heaven_, but in the NDARS offices. They're like, in Heaven but they're not through the metaphorical pearly gates."

Kris just waved a hand like he understood and didn't want to listen any more. Cassidy frowned and decided that he should stop talking and instead answered Kris' previous question.

"Yeah, Adam's still asleep. You should probably wake him though. He's getting eyeliner all over the arm of your chair."

Oddly enough, Kris didn't mind. He just shrugged and put his coffee down, bare feet padding through towards the lounge. He got to the kitchen door when Cassidy's voice stopped him again.

"You kids have fun last night?" he asked, barely disguised disappointment in his tone that he'd missed out on spending a night with Adam. "I came home and you guys were... cuddling."

Kris flushed. "Nothing happened. I'm not his type anyway, way too boring," he chuckled at the self-deprecating comment and tugged on the hem of his shirt and Cassidy hated him for being so unconsciously adorable. "We were watching a movie and I fell asleep, I guess he didn't feel like moving me."

"Not his type, huh?" Cassidy muttered into his cup, though he shrugged himself. "Well, I'm glad you looked after him. Maybe you guys'll be friends, God only knows you need some."

"I have friends!" Kris announced loudly and a little insulted at the insinuation that the only people he had to hang out with were his workmates, his guitar and his irritating guardian angel. "I have lots of friends!" He saw Cassidy smiling at something over his shoulder but didn't turn around until he heard someone else speak.

"Well, that's always good to know," Adam's voice said, sounding a little rough from sleep and Kris swallowed, flushing.

"I- I mean- that's- Cassidy was just making disparaging comments about my friendship group, I had to defend them." He turned and saw Adam, still a little sleepy with his eyeliner smudged and his hair in disarray and there was a surge of want that coursed through him so strong he took a step back. "Coffee! You- d'you want coffee? I made you a cup and then saved it from Cassidy-"

"Because I'm such a coffee thief," the angel deadpanned, finishing his own cup and making another. "Milk and sugar right, Adam?" he guessed, not at all having used his little angelic abilities to discern how Adam liked his coffee. He was rewarded with a warm smile and a nod from Adam and a sideways scowl from Kris who had clocked onto his cheating. "Here," he produced the coffee and held it out to Adam who cradled it gratefully between his big hands.

"Thanks, you're awesome." He winked at Kris and then grinned at Cassidy, wondering how it was that he was somehow lucky enough to be in the house with two cute brunettes, one of whom was apparently psychic. "How'd you know?"

"Just had a feeling," Cassidy lied, lifting one shoulder and sipping his second coffee. He grinned at Kris, as if they were in some kind of twisted one-up competition to do with making Adam smile. It was bullshit, but Kris felt a surge of irritation along with that want and he just took a deep breath, flexing his fingers. "You want breakfast? Krissy makes great pancakes."

Kris scowled again and smacked Cassidy in the arm at Adam's curious "Krissy?", ignoring Cassidy's exclamation of pain and laugh at the indignance in Kris' expression at the nickname Cassidy had overheard his brother use _once_, knowing full well that Kris hated it.

"Don't ask, Cassidy's just being a moron." Kris grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. He wiggled his toes against the linoleum of the kitchen floor and let out a weak half-laugh. "I guess I've kinda been dropped in it, now I gotta offer you breakfast."

Adam laughed, rich and smooth and Kris' stomach twisted again. Cassidy's eyebrow twitched and Kris noticed with an odd sense of vindication. Good, Cassidy was suffering due to just-woken-up Adam too. So he should be.

"You don't have to, but I think I need to taste these pancakes at some point." He grinned and Kris ignored the little skip-hop-jump that his heart did because that was an implication that Adam wanted to come and hang out with them again. Though Kris watched Adam's eyes slide to Cassidy and knew he'd be relegated to the friend. Not that that was a problem, hadn't he just spent the last God knows how long telling himself that friendship was good and that if he decided that he was going to end up crushing on this guy then that would be the most disastrous thing he could ever do?

"Well, if you don't want them..." Kris found himself saying, a teasing tone to his voice, the reasons for which he wasn't entirely sure.

"Did I say that?" Adam asked, and Cassidy watched the way the taller man's eyes dropped to the odd quirk of Kris' lips and the slight change in his expression at the way mischief sparkled in his charge's eyes. Kris grinned, tongue touching the edge of one tooth. Cassidy watched Adam's gaze fall there too and internally groaned. He should have just not asked Adam over last night. He could feel his chances of hooking up with this hot guy slipping away by the second. "No, no I didn't so make me pancakes, bitch." His words were punctuated with a wink and a playful flick to Kris' nose which wrinkled adorably in response.

"Ass," he grumbled and turned around to start putting things together to make pancakes. "Get outta my kitchen then, you reprobates. If you're just gonna eat my food and drink my coffee and not help then you can leave and go clean up the couch or something..."

He hesitated, "I'm gonna get changed first," he added and brushed past Adam to get out of the kitchen towards his bedroom, calling over his shoulder, "Feel free to use the bathroom, Adam. Cassidy, you've got your own apartment."

Cassidy chuckled as they heard Kris' bedroom door shut with a click. "Look, sorry about last night, man," he said, chewing his lower lip and rolling his coffee cup between his hands. "I- I'm sorry, I got kinda-"

"It's okay," Adam said, "Kris said you had a headache." He gave a smile, "Though it had to be quite some headache," he finished his coffee and put the mug in the sink, holding out his hand for Cassidy's, running the water like he was going to wash them up.

"I also got called into work," Cassidy added, which wasn't at all a lie. "Stupid hours that designers keep."

Adam tipped his head, "You're a designer?" he asked, interest clearly piqued. "Of what?"

"Houses," Cassidy said dryly before he realised that Adam might actually take him seriously. "Uh, no, clothes. I'm one of the designers for Skin.Graft, maybe you've heard of them?"

Adam's eyes went huge and he turned his head, a kind of amazed expression filtering into those blue eyes. "Are you kidding me? I _love_ Skin.Graft! It's one of my favourite labels." He grinned and looked down at what he was wearing before he paused, apparently remembering that he wasn't wearing what he thought he was. "I- my favourite jacket's something by Skin.Graft. It's a blue-"

"Blue leather with a long back, rhinestones and studs on one shoulder?" Cassidy asked, tilting his head a little, lips curling into something approaching a smirk. Adam just nodded. "That was my first design for them."

The look Adam gave him could have levelled a city with its sheer awesomeness. "You're kidding me?!" he squeaked, voice rising in pitch before he grabbed Cassidy's shoulders. "That's- God, you're- that's so _awesome_. I think I love your brain."

Cassidy laughed and squeezed Adam's wrist, ignoring the fact that Adam's hands were still a little wet from the water in the sink and sinking into his rather fabulous shirt. "Well, you're welcome to it," he teased, voice dropping a little, "But you have to ask nice. Maybe I can run some of my designs past you?"

Adam gawked at him before he nodded again, almost bouncing on the spot like some over-excited teenaged girl and Cassidy just smiled indulgently, feeling that at least something had been salvaged.

"I'd love that." Adam grabbed his hand and looked like he was going to say something else when he caught sight of the midnight blue that Cassidy's nails were painted and he lifted his hand to his face to have a better look at it. "That's a nice colour," he said, inspecting the job that Cassidy had done. It was apparently a critical inspection because he looked up again, blue eyes rimmed with smudged eyeliner - due to sleep rather than artful smudging - and Cassidy tipped his head.

"Pass the inspection?" he asked, lips curled in the corner.

"Yeah, you did a good job, if you did them yourself, that is?"

Cassidy chuckled. "Yeah, I did. Kris wouldn't let me anywhere near him with nail varnish, I'm sure. And he wouldn't have the first clue what to do with it if I shoved it in his hands. Yours are getting chipped," he noted, catching Adam's hand with his other one and turning it around, indicating to the thumb that was chipped from where Adam had been fiddling with it the night before.

"I pick at it when I'm nervous," Adam admitted, glancing over his shoulder, feeling eyes on them and being confused as hell because there was no one there.

There was, actually, Kris had watched the interaction with a strange feeling in his stomach. He wanted to ignore it, but he couldn't. He watched like some kind of creepy watcher-person, and when Adam had moved to turn around, he'd whipped his head back and out of the way like he was doing something wrong by hovering in the doorway of his own home. He'd even pressed himself against the wall like some kind of secret agent.

But the conversation continued as they talked about last night, Adam admitting nerves and Kris cleared his throat loudly to let them know that he was coming back into the kitchen.

When he actually entered, they'd moved apart, hands had been dropped and they both - weirdly - looked guilty even though neither of them if asked would have been able to give a decent reason as to why they did.

"So," Kris said to break the silence in the room that had fallen. Cassidy looked like he'd been caught trying to hump Adam's leg, and Adam looked just guilty. Kris' hands were in his pockets, shoulders lifted a little as he looked between the two men (or one man and one angel, he supposed if he was going to be pedantic about it). "You still want pancakes or have you guys made other plans...?"

It was left open because he'd heard something about designs and that would involve going to Cassidy's, or possibly to the store, but either way it meant leaving Kris' apartment. He rubbed his neck, it was still a little sore from having slept on the couch but nowhere near as sore as it should be, all things considered. Apparently Adam's chest was a great pillow, and Adam was like a personal radiator, who woulda guessed?

"No," Adam said, because Cassidy had stayed quiet, "Well, I mean, Cassidy asked me to go see his designs," he corrected a moment later after the expression on Cassidy's face, "but that can wait till after pancakes."

"Actually," Cassidy said, looking thoughtful for a moment, like he was remembering something that he'd been told up in the offices of Heaven, "yeah, it can wait until after pancakes."

Kris smiled and moved past them again to finish his pancake making preparations, shooing Cassidy out of the kitchen because the man was a pain in the backside and Adam went to clean the make up off his face in the bathroom.

It felt oddly... right, having them both around like this, having Adam in his apartment and even though they'd never really spoken as much as they did last night, Kris felt like he'd known him forever. He knew connections like that were rare, and he wanted to keep this one with Adam.

After all, there weren't many people that could just sit and talk with Kris for hours about nothing, he hadn't had anyone like that since Katy, and even then towards the end things had started to get difficult and awkward and they never quite knew what to say to each other. He missed that easy connection, you got it with siblings and your family, but after his relationship with Katy fell apart and he left - fled - to go to LA and chase his dreams, even his family were a little distant. He was convinced that his momma had taken his leaving as a personal insult, even though he really hadn't meant it like that. He just missed the camaraderie. He missed having friends, and people that made him smile.

He flipped a couple of pancakes.

Cassidy watched Adam and Kris for a long moment, watching the easy banter that appeared between them once Adam had washed, cataloguing their interactions, before making himself comfortable on the couch in the lounge, waiting for the pancakes to be served. He flicked on the TV and just watched it, ignoring that feeling in the back of his mind that he was quickly beginning to associate with Allison. It was echoing a simple message: _It's true love, you don't get in the way of that shit._

However, there was another little voice in his mind too that added, unhelpfully, _but there's nothing wrong with knocking it off the beaten track just a little bit, right? As long as you put it back on course again. The course of true love never did run smooth and all that._

\+ + +

"You know you're not doing it right."

"I know."

"You're not supposed to get in the way."

"I _know_."

"You're not supposed to fall in love either."

"_I know._"

"You signed that agreement, it was like- this is your last chance before purgatory."

"I know already, God_damnit_! You don't have to lecture me on the ins and outs of what I'm doing wrong. It's not like I was given any training so that I know what I'm doing right, fuck's sake!"

"There's a handbook, a... sort of a guidebook kind of thing."

"A _handbook_?! You think that's gonna help me? I don't wanna do this anymore, I- I just wanna go home. I've had enough. I quit."

"You can't, you know that. There's no easy way out, not for any of us. You should feel hono- Look, you can't just quit. You have to finish here, do what you were sent to do."

"But I don't know what that is. I don't know how to finish 'it' because I don't know what 'it' is! I can't make him play, if that's what I'm supposed to do, and I can't make him have a happy, functional relationship, and I certainly can't make him fashionable, I've tried, but have you seen his wardrobe?!"

"I'm sorry, I can't tell you more than that..."

"Well, you're no help at all, are you."

"Don't sulk."

"I'm not."

"You're doing well, you're on the right track, just- it's just taking time, that's all. These things do."

"I don't want to have to wait."

"I know, but you don't get a choice. Once you're done here, there's rewards waiting for you. A chance to head through those gates you spent years sitting outside of. I promise you, the party inside? Totally worth waiting for."

"It better be."

"You're sulking again."

"And you're annoying."

"Heh, I do my best. I'll contact you again soon. Just keep doing what you're doing."

"What _am_ I doing?"

"It wouldn't be a challenge if I just gave you the answers now, would it?"

"I hate you. You're infuriating."

...

"I know you're still there, you're totally listening and judging me silently aren't you."

...

"Stop it! I don't deserve the silent treatment!"

...

"...Allison?"

\+ + +

"How's he doing?"

Allison looked up from her paperwork sorting and sighed. She pushed a few locks of vibrant red hair behind her ear and shrugged. Her superior officer was a really cool angel, Ryan was laid back and used to be on TV. Not when she was around, but in the thirties and fourties he was some kind of presenter, apparently, really loved. So much, in fact, that some whack-job shot him.

"He's struggling," Allison admitted, wings fluttering a little as she folded her arms. Her features twisted a little in worry. "He doesn't understand what he has to do and he doesn't know how spending his time surrounded by all the things he wanted and loved when he was alive and not being allowed them in death is fair. I think he's feeling victimised."

Ryan shook his head. "I know it's hard, the first mission always is. And Cassidy's..."

"You dare say 'a sinner', Ryan," Allison warned, pointing a finger at Ryan's face, her fingernails painted a dark maroon colour. "He's amazing, he's actually really funny, and he's a great designer."

"What he's doing down on the surface isn't- It's not what he's supposed to be doing. No doubt he's doing a good job of making sure that his charge gets out of the house every now and then and actually is getting a life, but that's not- That's not what he's supposed to be doing."

"It's a start!" Allison protested, wings fluttering again. "He doesn't know what he's supposed to be doing, so how can he do that if he doesn't know what he's meant to do to solve Kris' life, which, by the way, looks to be perfectly fine?!"

Ryan's brows drew together for a moment and he tapped his lower lip before he folded his arms and leaned against the table. His own wings were large, white and cream and contrasted sharply with the suit he was wearing. "He's really got to you, hasn't he."

"I see people come in and out of here all the time and they're always finding it hard, they never know what's going on and I can't help them." Another flutter of her wings, distressed as she twisted her fingers around the locks of her hair. "I- I don't like not being able to help them."

She looked at him, fire in her dark eyes, a passion that had landed her the job she had. She was so much more than a receptionist, not that she realised. She was a point of contact, some way for the angels out on duty to touch base. She was a home, a comfort and a reassurance with her almost unstoppable cheerfulness and bubbly attitude.

"You get to sit up in your office, or wherever it is you go when you leave here, this waiting room of lost souls and I have to deal with them being upset and afraid and angry and confused and you just- leave me to it!"

At that moment, she looked every bit the seventeen year old she had been when her life was tragically snatched away from her and Ryan just tugged her into a hug, one hand curling in the lengths of her hair. She relaxed into his arms, wings drooping slightly. His stretched, curled around them both and she settled closer, feeling comforted and reassured by the warm cocoon that his wings created around her.

"It's always tough, Allison, but you're special. That's why you're here."

"Not just 'cause I'm good at filing stuff?" she asked, looking up at him again and Ryan's heart tugged painfully.

"No," he said with a chuckle, "Not just 'cause you're good at filing stuff. You make people smile and remind them that they're okay. We need you here. I need you here."

Allison smiled again, warm for a moment before Ryan's wings released them and he took a step back, squeezing her upper arms and then letting go. She frowned after a moment though. "But how come I can't access the files that tell me what they're supposed to be doing to help their charges? Why can't I tell Cassidy what he needs to know?"

Ryan opened his mouth to answer when another Angel appeared on the scene. She was one that Allison had never seen before and she was filled with an intense sense of awe as the woman approached. She found herself bowing her head almost reverently.

"Because, honey," the woman said, and her voice was soft, melodious and Allison found herself soothed just by the sound of it. Her wings were elegant, like her, sleek and long, the sign of an angel even higher up than Ryan. She swallowed. "Because not even we know what is planned. It's information given to that angel and that angel alone."

"But he doesn't know," Allison said and she instantly felt bad for arguing back. This angel, however, just smiled indulgently.

"He does, and he's doing exactly what he needs to be doing."

She must have looked confused because the angel laughed again, but it wasn't unkind. Allison wondered if this angel could at all be unkind.

"We all work in mysterious ways. There would be no challenge of lesson for Cassidy if he were simply able to walk in and sort it all out immediately, just as there would be no real resolution for Kris Allen if his guardian angel were to spend no time at all with him. Remember, many people have had their angels for years. Kris Allen's angel-" Sadness crossed over her face, "It is- Something happened to the angel that had been guarding him throughout his life. We think that's when his life went a little astray..."

Allison looked surprised and then she frowned, "But we're supposed to be silent unless in times of dire need."

"And in one of Kris' times of dire need, he felt alone because his angel was not there. Not that he realised, of course."

"So you think because of that, that's why his life isn't on the right track?"

"Something like that," the angel answered after exchanging a look with Ryan.

"Why're you down here, Kara?" he asked after a moment and Kara rolled her eyes at him, reaching up to pat his cheek like a mother would a child.

"You mean I can't just come and visit?"

"In seventy years you've never once come to 'just visit' me down here." Ryan deadpanned and Kara looked infinitely more serious. He cottoned on a second later that this was a conversation best not to be had in front of Allison. "Oh."

He swallowed, tugged on his collar at little and gave Allison a brave smile at the concern she showed, that must have registered on her face. He kissed her forehead and gently turned her, fingertip brushing down the edge of her wing. It fluttered in response and she hunched her shoulders, a giggle escaping her before she could help herself.

"Get back to work, Alli, I've got a meeting to go to." She noticed that his voice was shaking a little and she couldn't pretend that that didn't scare her just a bit.

Kara smiled and touched Allison's arm and a strange feeling of calm swept through her.

"Don't worry about Ryan. He's not in any kind of trouble, and neither are you." She gave another one of those smiles and Allison just moved away towards her desk, following an odd compulsion to go back to work.

The two superior angels left and Allison looked down at the folder in her hands. It was plain, brown but thick. Inside of it she found a picture of Kristopher Neil Allen. It had information about him in it, his date of birth and the place where he came into the world as well as the trivial things that became important points in his life: how he saw a guitar hanging up in a music store when he was eight and decided that he wanted to learn how to play it; the way his fingers felt the first time he brushed them over a piano; the first time that he kissed Katy O'Connell and knew that he wanted to marry her; the way that he felt the day that she left him, claiming she knew that she wasn't what his heart really desired, the desperation he had felt to keep her close and not lose her; the way that the music left him that day, closed behind a door of his own making as much as Katy's.

She closed her eyes, shut the folder and put her hand flat against the paper. It didn't take much for her to put herself there, in his life. She felt weightless, invisibility clouding her form. She wasn't there, not in a physical sense, and to her everything seemed slowed, sounds muffled like she was hearing through water.

When she opened them again, she was perched on the free chair in Kris Allen's lounge. A smile curled on her face and she remembered why they did this.

Adam had Kris' guitar in his lap and they were laughing. Kris was making shapes with his hands, forming chords and laughing when Adam got them wrong.

"No," he said, moving to perch on the coffee table in front of Adam. He reached out and covered Adam's hand with his own, correcting the way that his fingers were positioned on the fret boards. His touches lingered just a second too long, he missed the way that Adam's eyes lingered on the way their hands touched and the way that Adam's smiles softened at the edges. He missed the way that Adam laughed at them both, the way that they both genuinely enjoyed being in each other's company. "Like this," Kris was saying softly.

"Like this?" Adam repeated doubtfully, lifting his head to look at Kris, meeting his eyes and looking quizzically at Kris. Kris met his eyes and laughed, a crooked twist of his mouth and Adam's eyes dropped there instantly.

"Yeah, it feels weird at first," Kris was saying, but Adam had long since stopped listening. Allison watched the way that Adam leaned forward a little, but then changed his mind, strumming experimentally and grimacing at the hollow sound as a couple of strings were caught, his finger touching the E so that it wasn't an open sound.

"I can't do it," he admitted, letting go of the neck of the guitar and looking at his fingertips. He held them out to Kris, "Look at this, there's indents!"

"You build up callouses after a while," Kris reassured with a laugh, brushing his thumb over the dents in Adam's fingers that Kris' guitar strings had made.

"What if I don't want callouses?"

"Then you can't play guitar," Kris said with a soft laugh. He looked at Adam as the guitar was held out to him. "What?"

"I wanna hear you play something, we've been, unsuccessfully might I add, trying to teach me for the better part of two hours and my fingers hurt and I wanna hear someone play who actually knows how to."

Kris froze and shook his head, getting to his feet and creating physical distance. Allison watched, all those years of playing in bars and churches in Conway, never getting anywhere, the constant rejection when he got to LA all written on his face. It broke her heart to see someone she knew was talented being almost afraid of his music, his gift.

"I-" he swallowed and Adam got to his feet, putting the guitar aside and Allison watched the way that Kris lifted his head, tilted it to the side a little. She watched how his features opened, his expression softened and confusion flickered over his face. She watched him become almost vulnerable even if he didn't realise it and she watched Adam touch his cheek, Kris' head move into the touch and the two of them stepping forward together, bodies fitting like a harmony as arms went around each other.

"It's okay, Kris," Adam murmured softly into Kris' hair, squeezing the back of his neck. "I just want to hear you play, there's nothing wrong with that, right?"

Kris shook his head where it was hidden in Adam's chest, he'd face-planted into Adam as he had done so many times before in the course of their short, but intense friendship. "No, I just kinda feel like I've forgotten it all, it's been ages since I played. When I got to LA I tried the circuit but there's only so many times you can hear the word 'no' before it starts to get to you, you know?"

Adam laughed softly and kissed Kris' forehead. Both of their eyes drifted shut briefly with the contact. "I know, but far as I understand it, playing an instrument's like riding a bike, you never forget how."

Kris snorted and leaned back a little more to look up at Adam. Allison could see the tension between them, sexually charged, eyes moving in ways that they shouldn't be. Kris' tongue slid along his lower lip and Adam watched it move, his fingers flexing where they'd come to rest on Kris' upper arms, Kris' fingers moving softly against Adam's waist. They stood, trapped in the moment and the eye contact when Kris broke it, looking down and to the side.

"I still haven't heard you sing, you know," he said offhandedly, voice a little rougher than before. He cleared his throat like that would fix the sudden hoarseness of his voice and he rubbed the back of his head. "And I'm sure at some point we agreed you'd sing first, and then I'd play for you."

Adam looked like he'd been caught out and just pouted down at Kris. Allison didn't need to be an angel to see that there was something in Kris that wanted to move up onto his tip toes and kiss that pout of Adam's lips, but he didn't. Instead he just laughed, flicked Adam's nose and almost danced out of the way when the taller man made a grab for Kris to retaliate.

She'd seen enough, and she was more than aware that she wasn't supposed to be down here anyway so it was with a fair amount of reluctance that she left the pair there, Kris trying to cajoule Adam into singing, Adam trying to convince Kris to play and she knew already that in a few minutes they'd reach an impasse and they'd give up in favour of ordering pizza in, waiting for Cassidy to come back from a meeting with Skin.Graft. She also knew that Cassidy was going to be bringing Adam back a gift, a jacket from the store that he'd designed and managed to snag a free sample of. After all, he was the designer.

She stood up quietly and stretched her wings again, wiggling her fingers goodbye to the pair that couldn't see her as she lifted herself off the ground. She shut her eyes and when she opened them again, she was back in the NDARS offices. Kris' file was just where she'd left it and she picked it up and hugged it against her chest for a second before she put it where it belonged.

"You'll be okay, Kris Allen," she said quietly, as if he could hear her even though she knew he couldn't. He never would be able to unless Cassidy allowed it; angels weren't supposed to interfere in others' business. "I just know it."

\+ + +

"Have you seen this?" Kris asked, eyes bright from where he was seated on Cassidy's couch, watching a documentary on the History Channel about what would happen if people disappeared one day. "In a hundred years, the Brooklyn Bridge'll collapse, this is awesome."

Adam and Cassidy looked over at him and rolled their eyes. They'd been discussing clothes. Adam had some stage show coming up and he wanted Cassidy's help with the wardrobe. Cassidy was more than happy to help out, it meant getting to spend more time with Adam and it also meant he could play around with clothes and dress pretty boys, so he really didn't mind at all.

When they didn't react, Kris just curled one leg underneath himself and went back to the show, though he couldn't help but focus on the distance - or lack thereof - between Adam and Cassidy. The way that their heads were bowed together as they flicked through books and poured over the computer screen as they looked at images and patterns. He honed in on every touch, every time Adam's hand brushed Cassidy's arm or his back, the way that his fingers tightened when he liked something and his face lit up with excitement and how Cassidy's expression softened, hand touching Adam's shoulder or his neck or his hip.

He sucked on his teeth and just tried to ignore it, but he couldn't. He was so acutely aware of it because he was jealous. Not that he was about to admit that aloud. He'd gotten a good friendship going with Adam and he loved the other man's company. He loved the way that he fitted against Adam's side like he belonged there, a missing piece of the puzzle. He loved the way that Adam smiled indulgently when Kris babbled, and the way that his arms encircled Kris and held him tightly. He loved how Adam kissed his temple, or the top of his head, the way that they curled up on the couch. He loved that they could talk for hours and never get bored, stay up late and just talk about nothing. He loved how easy it was, and how touching Adam and being touched by Adam, even in the most innocent of ways, was intoxicating. What he didn't like was the way that he felt right now, when Cassidy was there, touching Adam and standing in places that Kris knew _he_ belonged.

He'd been told to shut up several times already, Cassidy had made a comment about letting the fairies talk, and Adam had chastised him for it. Kris wasn't the kind of guy to need attention, not at all, in fact he preferred to just be in the background. He used to love it, being on stage and knowing that people were listening to him, looking at him and hearing what he had to say through his music. Other than that, though, he preferred to be in the background. Except with Adam. He wanted to be the only one that had Adam's attention and as childish as that was, he felt put out that he was kind of being ignored. He might not be able to talk about make up or clothes like Cassidy, but he could talk about music and movies and the theatre (in a limited way, anyway, granted his conversation ended after 'I like the theatre, yeah'). He made Adam laugh and he hated that Cassidy was doing that. Cassidy was also making Adam do that hopping thing he did when he was excited, freaking out like a teenage girl at a Jonas Brothers concert or something.

He stuck it out until the end of the programme, nearly two hours of being ignored even though he'd tried to get into the conversation and once he'd flicked through the shows, and there was one on the creation and development of modern rock and the way it effected and was affected by social progression and change. Something that he was interested in. He knew Adam was too.

"You wanna watch this?" he asked, repeating himself after a moment when there was no response, "...Guys?"

"In a minute, man, we're just kind of on a roll here," Cassidy said, his hand on Adam's hip as he flicked a page and then scribbled something down.

Adam looked over at Kris and gave him a warm smile that made Kris' stomach do flips. "No, thanks, like Cassidy said, we're on a roll. I think we've really got something!" He looked excited again.

"Yeah?" Kris asked, looking like he was actually considering trying to get involved. "Can I see?"

Cassidy frowned. Adam opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by Cassidy. "You wouldn't be interested. Don't worry yourself about it. There are way too many feathers and stuff for you. Too much glitter."

Kris' nose wrinkled in frustration before he grabbed his jacket and got to his feet. "Right. Sorry. I'll just let you guys get on with it, then," he said, trying valiantly not to act like he was upset, though his tone was a little sharp and he was well aware of that. "Wouldn't want to be getting in the way of the 'creative flow'."

"What?" Adam asked, moving away from Cassidy to cross over to Kris, who was on his feet and walking towards the door.

"Don't act like a bitch, Kris," Cassidy said and Kris just turned his head to glare at him.

"I'm going, Cassidy, put the claws away." Kris snapped, taking a step back from Adam's hands reaching out for him. He gave his friend a small smile. "Don't worry Adam, I'll leave you guys to it. Don't wanna distract you or anything."

"Are you okay?" Adam seemed concerned, those big blue eyes focused on Kris and his world had narrowed to Kris again. Kris loved that, but he was put out and he was a little hurt so he just nodded, managing to force a smile and he squeezed Adam's wrist, not letting him close enough to pull Kris into a hug that would instantly squash all the ugly feelings in his stomach. A part of him wanted to let Adam hold him, squeeze him and feel one hand in his hair, to push away the nasty sensations that were rippling through Kris, the jealousy and the anger and that childish feeling of 'don't ignore me, I'm here, pay attention to me' that was being countered - or at least, that's what it felt like - with Cassidy and Adam's 'Not now, I'm busy' more adult sensibility.

"Yeah," he lied, though not at all convincingly. Another squeeze of Adam's wrist and he took a step back, ignoring how he saw something like hurt (though it couldn't be hurt, maybe it was confusion, maybe it was nothing because Kris was good at imagining things) flicker across Adam's face. "I'm just gonna go to my apartment, shower or something. I'm feeling kind of gross."

It was a lame excuse and he knew that Adam knew it. But Adam said nothing. He just took a few steps back and looked at Kris for a second, like he was evaluating him before he nodded. "Sure. I'll see you later?"

Hope? Did Kris hear hope and anticipation in Adam's voice? Or was he imagining things again. There was a curious tilt to Adam's head and the way that his fingers moved slightly, twitching at his sides meant that Kris was all too aware that he wanted to reach out again and touch him, that Adam was desperately fighting that urge he had to cement their words with a physical touch, physical contact to make everything better.

"If you want to," Kris said softly, leaving it open to Adam but he desperately wanted Adam to follow him out of Cassidy's apartment. He gave a half smile, crooked he knew. "You know where I am."

"You don't have to leave," Adam said quietly. Kris swallowed, it was tempting to stay but he just shook his head again.

"Naw," he offered, accent thickening a little, it always did when he was trying to hide how upset he was, "I don't wanna be gettin' in the way."

He glanced up at Cassidy and just offered him a silent goodbye. He wanted to leave now before he said something or was convinced to stay. He looked at Cassidy again and just tilted his head. Half the time he was convinced that the angel could hear his thoughts, and right now that thought disturbed him because he kind of wanted to hit Cassidy in the face with his guitar.

Taking another step backwards to stop him from reaching out himself, he lifted a shoulder in a shrug. Adam's mouth was open again to say something and Kris turned on his heel with his jacket in his hand to leave the apartment.

The door shut behind him and he stood in the hallway for a moment, wishing more than anything that Adam's footsteps would come after him, but after about a minute, he crossed the hall into his own apartment and shut the door to the sound of Cassidy and Adam laughing. He pushed his door shut a little harder than was completely necessary and leaned against it.

"You're pathetic," he muttered because he still wanted Adam to come through the door after him, to ignore Cassidy and come to check that he was okay. But it didn't happen, and if it didn't happen in the first five minutes, then Kris was all too aware that it wouldn't happen. _Pull it together, Kris._

He moved away from the door, most pointedly not looking back at it. Strangely compelled, he moved towards the drawer where he'd tossed his lyric book when he'd signed the divorce papers. After digging around in it for a few moments, his fingers closed on the ragged notebook and he pulled it out, flicking through the pages and grabbed a pen from the top of his cabinet.

Sitting down on the floor, legs stretched out in front of him, Kris' fingers scrabbled to find a new page and started writing. The words came out of him, flowing like water. He shifted, ending up on his stomach with his feet in the air, propped up by his left arm as he scribbled and scribbled. It was the first time he'd done so in about a year. Ironically, the songs were about want and jealousy, they weren't the nicest of songs, but it was something, he was writing something and that was more than he'd done in a long time.

He lost all track of time as the words swirled around him, in his head and coming out of his hands, the ink on the page giving him some way to get out what he was feeling. It was an expression of everything that was caged up inside of him, that had been building for days, weeks, for as long as Cassidy had appeared in his life, for as long as he'd had Adam around and slowly but surely realised that somewhere along the line his feelings for Adam had gone from that simple crush to something a little more, to something a lot more. But that he knew all too well that it was something he couldn't have because Adam was his friend. His _friend_ and Kris couldn't screw that up.

Somewhere outside of his apartment there was the sound of a door slamming and he snapped out of the trance he was in with something akin to shock and he threw the pen away from him, watching it skitter underneath the edge of the couch. The nib poked out from the bottom of the couch like a particularly nervous spider.

When he looked up, coming back to himself, his hand was cramping. He dug his left thumb into the muscles of his right hand as if that would ease the pain. He rubbed at his eyes a few seconds later and wiggled his fingers. He looked at the words on the page and barely remembered writing them. He both loved and hated it when he got swept up in the act of writing like that. Everything just disappeared and melted away and he was but a channel for the music and the words. He wet his lower lip and turned back a few pages, laughing softly.

"You really are kind of lame, Allen," he muttered, shaking his head and getting to his feet, leaving the book open on the floor. He stretched his arms over his head and leaned back a little, feeling the muscles in his back twisting and joints popping. He wasn't getting too old to sit on the floor like that, but maybe it was a little too much to do it for as long as he had. He glanced up at the time and his eyebrows lifted. Wow, four hours.

At the same time, he felt disappointed that Adam hadn't come to check on him in all that time. Hadn't Adam asked to see him later? And Kris had said that Adam knew where he was if he wanted to, so maybe he hadn't wanted to. He swallowed and rubbed the back of his neck, cracking the fingers of his right hand.

Bare feet walked away from the notepad on the floor with the words of his heart bared open on the page, he headed towards his kitchen to grab a coke from the fridge. Beer was sitting, unused on the bottom shelf and he thought about having a drink before he shook his head. Drinking never made anything better. He wanted to head across the hallway and see if Adam was still at Cassidy's, four hours later. Of course, there was a part of him that was worrying about what he would find if he went over to Cassidy's, fervent imagination seeing a trail of clothes leading towards the bedroom and hearing the sounds of groans and thuds and heavy breathing.

His nose wrinkled and he took a mental scrubbing brush to his brain. He felt a little less like he wanted to smack Cassidy in the face with his guitar now, as long as he didn't think too hard on the subject of Cassidy and Adam doing... things of a sexual nature. On his table there was a picture of him and Katy, arm over her shoulders a few years ago when they'd gone on a mission together and he felt such a strong sense of homesickness that it turned his lips down in the corner and he took a long drink of his coke. He crossed over and picked it up, rubbing his thumb over the picture and thinking back on his relationship with his ex wife.

There was pain, very real pain when he thought about her. He swallowed and looked at it again before he put it face down on the table and sank onto the couch. The last time he'd sat on there, Adam had been there too, tugging him against his side. When he thought about Adam, his heart sped up a little and his mouth went dry. It was the way he used to react when he thought about Katy. Now he only felt loss when he thought about her, the lack of a ring around his finger and the way in which he was just... drifting.

Originally, they'd had such plans. Hers had been for him to finish his degree in business studies and then he could go to LA and work, and play music during the weekends and in the evenings. They'd have a small place where she could pursue her acting and he could bring home the money so it wouldn't matter if she struggled at first before she was discovered. Kris wanted to go then, leave and never look back. Now? He sometimes he wished he'd never said anything. They'd had love, that should have been enough for him, they didn't need that security because they had each other, that's what they'd always said. He wanted to go out and play his music, he wanted to go out and enjoy his youth, meeting people, he wanted to experience things that he hadn't had the chance to in Arkansas.

It had been their first big fight. Katy had looked at him when he'd said that, that he wanted to experience life. Her eyes had turned cold and her shoulders stiffened. _You mean, you want to experience men_ she'd said, _you want to try all those- Oh, you thought I didn't know? I've seen you. It's not right, you know. Even if you don't act on it, the thought's impure._ Kris had turned on her and asked if she was accusing him of being unfaithful to her and to his vows, the vows he had made in front of the God that he had - at that time - believed in so solidly. His belief might have been a little different to everyone else's, he was fully aware that God loved everyone, regardless of who they wanted to be with. Love was love, and there was nothing wrong with that as far as he was concerned.

Of course, his family proved that God wasn't the magnanimous entity he might otherwise have been considering Him to be when he and Katy told them that they were separating. Kris was blamed, even by Katy even though it had been her decision to leave him. She couldn't live with him and his _unnatural urges_ any longer and he couldn't forget how much it hurt that his best friend, the woman he'd wanted to spend the rest of his life with and was willing to give up all of his own dreams for, the woman that he was willing to forgo any kind of life experience and willing to squash down a part of himself that he had never had the chance to explore had turned on him like that, so quickly and viciously. She'd told his parents wild stories about finding magazines in their bedroom, or how Kris seemed distant when they were making love (and if that wasn't mortifying enough to be talking about his sex life with his _parents_ but to be saying that he was thinking about someone else?!). It was the ultimate betrayal.

She also revealed to him that she had never wanted him to pursue his music. He might have been good enough to play at bars, but he'd never get anywhere in LA. It had burned, forcing him to rethink everything he'd been told by her over the years, all the praise and the reassurance that he didn't suck, that one day someone would hear him and appreciate his talent, that they were just waiting for him and he'd get there one day. She'd nurtured his dream only to turn around and shatter it, put a pin in the balloon she'd spent so many years helping to blow up.

Anger welled up in him again, sharp and sudden that had him snatching up the picture he'd placed on the table, the smiling face of his wife being hidden from view, face down. His fingers curled around the metal frame, given to him by his mother when he told her that he was engaged. That anger bubbled inside him, anger at Katy for turning on him, outing him to his parents, for ruining the only thing in his life that had stuck with him constantly, anger at his parents for turning their backs on him when he needed them the most and for not supporting _him_, their _son_.

The picture - and frame - left his hand before he was even aware it was doing so, being thrown across the room in such an explosion of anger that Kris wasn't aware that he was capable of. He watched it hit the wall, almost in slow motion, the frame coming apart in the corners and the glass cracking.

It shattered when it hit the floor and its movement stopped. The picture stood on its end for a moment before it flopped forward and covered a few of the shards of broken glass having fallen out of its mangled frame.

Kris just stood there, chest heaving and hands in fists at his sides, the emotions still inside him but having lessened, the explosion that had been coming for such a long time draining him. Emotions were always exhausting, particularly the nastier ones. Tears were in his eyes, blurring his vision and dripping down his cheeks with each time he blinked.

He hadn't even realised that he'd screamed until the door opened and revealed Adam on the other side, looking a little wild-eyed and concerned, but also like he was ready to smack something - and smack it hard - if the need arose.

Kris looked at him, confused and frowning a little. "What're you doing in here?" he asked, not meaning to sound short but apparently he did because Adam's shoulders squared up and he took a step backwards so he was in the doorway again instead of actually inside the apartment.

"You- I heard you yelling and I was worried," he admitted before he shrugged and Kris felt bad for the tone of his voice.

"Sorry, it's- I- I yelled?" It was kind of hard to believe and he let out a half laugh, surprised at himself. The laugh was ruined by a pathetic half-sniffle. "Sorry- didn't mean to worry you."

Adam just lifted his hands, concern still on his face, even if it was a little guarded. His hands were flexing at his sides like he wanted to reach out for Kris and Kris let out another pathetic sniffle, wiping his wrist over his eyes. "Long as you're okay. I thought there might have been someone in here or something. Cassidy said you were okay, and you didn't need saving or anything, but I-"

Kris tipped his head, a silent invitation for Adam to come on in if he wanted to and the taller man took it instantly, crossing the distance between them with a few long strides and he curled his arms around Kris, hugging him tight.

"My knight in shining armour," Kris teased, arms going around Adam's waist and hiding his face in Adam's chest. He muttered an apology for getting tears on Adam's shirt and the other man just tightened his arms around Kris. Kris let himself hide against Adam, twisting his fingers in the fabric of Adam's shirt. He felt those ugly feelings disappear the longer he stayed in the security of Adam's arms. "I'm alright, really."

Adam's eyes fell on the broken photograph and he let go of Kris - after pressing a kiss to the top of his head - to go and pick it up. He carefully navigated the minefield of broken glass: he had boots on but Kris was barefoot - going over there himself would have been suicide on his poor feet. Instead, Kris just stayed where he was and curled his arms around himself, ignoring the chill that came through him at the lack of Adam's presence.

"Is this her?" he asked simply, no other questions. Kris nodded, suddenly miserable all over again. His eyes burned and the corners of his lips turned down in the corners. Now that the anger had left him, he had nothing left but the hurt and the damage that Katy had left behind. "She really broke you, huh."

Kris said nothing, he just looked down and took a couple of steps backwards. Now he was kind of wishing he _had_ drank a beer earlier. "Aren't you s'posed to be... costume designing?" he asked, voice weak and a little rough from the crying and shouting, something to change the route of the conversation because he really didn't want to talk about Katy. He'd been thinking about her for a long time already today and that was enough. He'd already broken a photo-frame, what more damage did the ghost of his ex-wife want to cause?

She'd done enough.

\+ + +

"I always thought that Fiyero was gay," Cassidy said, kicking his feet up onto the table as he and Adam watched a recorded version of the Broadway production _Wicked_. "I mean, he's got two beautiful women, well, I guess they're beautiful, to choose from and he then gets turned into the scarecrow that has no brains and does that weird camp skipping thing."

Adam laughed and Cassidy felt pleased with himself. Their discussions of costumes had been forgotten in lieu of being distracted by discussion about musicals and the wonders of being on stage, or backstage. They talked about performing and singing and how awesome it was to be backstage on a show, feeling the buzz. The main difference (apart from the fact that Cassidy's experience was a decade ago and included closeted queens) between them was that Adam always enjoyed being center stage, on the front and in the spotlight. Cassidy had always preferred being backstage, playing with the fabulous costumes and doing the make up. He'd had his share of being on stage, but only at open mic nights and even then he'd never been as comfortable doing it. In another life, maybe. In another life, he'd have loved to be a singer, do all the fun things that Adam did for a living, even if he struggled every now and then.

"Guess it's wrong that I kinda played him straight then," Adam said with a chuckle as he rubbed his hand over his jaw and Cassidy's eyes narrowed in on that point before he caught himself. That Allison voice in his head was warning him about true love and he was steadfastly ignoring it.

Like he'd spent a long time rationalising: the course of true love never did run smooth. Besides, he wasn't looking for love, he kind of just wanted to sleep with this really hot guy, probably get fucked by him (and that was possible, Cassidy-the-Guardian-Angel down on earth was completely fully equipped just like he was when he was alive) and maybe receive an awesome blow-job and still keep the guy as a friend. Beforehand, Cassidy had been damn good at that, fucking a guy and staying friends. Occasionally even being friends with benefits. He didn't want to think about how he died just before Adam came to LA, that red car's timing sucked, man. But then he thought about how he was back now and that was what counted.

"Man, I wish I coulda seen you," Cassidy said honestly, "on stage, I mean. 'Cause obviously I can see you now." He winked as he was rewarded with another smile from Adam. "You got such a presence about you, I'm willing to bet it'd be even more intoxicating on stage."

He didn't look at all ashamed by the implication that he thought Adam was intoxicating because he did. Adam was gorgeous and Cassidy wanted. He hadn't wanted like this in a long time - mainly because he'd been dead for the better part of a decade and apparently he'd missed out on a lot (for instance, he was still trying to get to grips with this Twatter thing). Repeated sex with gorgeous, talented men like Adam was apparently one of these things that he'd missed out on quite horrendously. Which sucked.

Adam, on the other hand, looked surprised at Cassidy's admission. Surprised and then flattered and then maybe a little turned on. Though that latter one could have been Cassidy indulging in a little bit of wishful thinking, unfortunately. Cassidy just shrugged and his lips twisted in a half smile.

"Well, it's true. You never been told that before?" he asked, "You're pretty too."

Adam laughed again and ducked his head, breaking the eye contact between them that Cassidy had been hoping might leave room for distance-closing and kissing to happen.

"I've heard that one a few times," Adam admitted sheepishly, voice soft and a smile in his tone.

"But you still don't believe it?" Cassidy guessed - he could have cheated if he wanted to but decided not to, he wanted to do this the right way - as he reached out to touch Adam's chin with two fingers, lifting the singer's head. "It's a shame, 'cause you really are, damn pretty." He met Adam's eyes, letting the other man see his sincerity. "Maybe pretty's the wrong word, gorgeous, hot, glamourous, sexy?"

His lips twisted into a grin as he listed the synonyms of the word 'pretty', watching Adam's cheeks catch in a flush, highlighting the freckles that Cassidy suspected lurked in patches underneath the make up. He didn't usually go for people with freckles, but he figured he could make an exception for Adam. Never figured him to be a closet blonde, but he didn't mind that much - for once. There was definitely something special about this one.

"You can look abashed all you want, honey," Cassidy said, fingers still hooked underneath Adam's chin. Adam hadn't made any move to pull away, though, so Cassidy figured they were doing okay. "It doesn't make it any less true. You are gorgeous, and it's a crime if people have made you think that you're not. Seriously."

Adam let out a soft chuckle at that, curling his fingers around Cassidy's wrist and squeezing gently. His lips were quirked into a small smile and Cassidy felt another surge of want go through him. His own lips twisted a little and he spotted Adam's gaze dropping down to his mouth. When it did, he ran his tongue over his lower lip slowly before drawing it between his teeth. He was teasing, he knew it, but he was good at it.

It worked as well because Adam's eyes slid to his lips and stayed there for a long moment. He took in a half breath and his eyes flicked up to Cassidy's. They were so close, it was going to happen, Cassidy could already see how it was going to go down, and granted he knew imagining things tended to end up with him being sorely disappointed. However, this was not going to be one of those moments or situations. Adam was going to kiss him and that was going to be great. It was going to be awesome.

Dimly he was fully aware of just how bad an idea this was, he was all too aware of Allison's nagging voice but he was about to get kissed. He decided to ignore it. He wasn't stealing the guy. It was just a kiss. Nothing wrong with that. Kris wouldn't take it as anything serious anyway, right? It was just a bit of fun.

He met Adam's eyes and tilted his head a little, a silent invitation as his hand slid up and along Adam's jaw, hooking just underneath his ear before moving to the back of Adam's neck. Adam's hand was still around his wrist, and nerves that might have been sitting in those blue eyes disappeared as the distance between them closed, agonisingly slowly.

When they were close enough that Cassidy could feel Adam's breath against his lips and their eyes were half-closed, just about to kiss, there was a sound from across the hall - _Kris' apartment_ Cassidy's mind dimly reminded him. It sounded like something between an agonised scream and a shout and it was punctuated with the sound of something hitting the wall.

If anything seriously had happened to Kris, he'd know about it, that whole angelic connection thing that he had going on. But the sound was loud enough that it startled them both and they leaned back, Adam's head turning to look at the door, his blue eyes wide and surprised.

"What the hell was that?" he asked, pulling away from Cassidy who felt disappointed. It warred with worry for his charge, but ultimately the worry won out. "We should check on him."

"He's fine," Cassidy said, checking himself a moment later, "not that he makes a habit of throwing things around, but he's okay. He doesn't need saving from anything, except maybe his wardrobe..."

The attempt at humour failed though because Adam was getting up off the couch. "I'm gonna check on him," and Cassidy realised just how much Kris didn't deserve Adam. Cassidy didn't deserve him either, but that was neither here nor there, Cassidy wasn't looking for love, just sex.

"He's fine, Adam, really. I know."

"How?" Adam protested and Cassidy was surprised by the worry that as written over Adam's face.

"I- I just do. I kinda just know this stuff. I know Kris. He's fine."

But Adam wasn't being convinced and Cassidy just ran his hand through his hair as he watched Adam turn and walk out of the apartment, pulling the door shut behind him as his strong, quick footsteps headed out of Cassidy's home and towards Kris'.

For a cute guy, Kris was an effective cockblocker.

\+ + +

Cosmic timing seemed to have it in for Cassidy's sex life. Every time he got remotely close to Adam, something happened, be it a phone call from his brother Neil or something that was beckoning Adam away from Cassidy's bed (or couch, or kitchen counter... wherever, he really wasn't fussed) and into the sparkly lights of the theatre that Cassidy couldn't quite follow him to and Adam couldn't quite stay away from. Of course, then there was Kris, who was always around - and that wasn't a bad thing, not at all, but Cassidy wanted to get laid and the idea of having sex whilst his charge was in the next room was weird. And Adam seemed to be always a little reluctant to let Cassidy flirt with him quite so obviously when Kris was around. Didn't help that the tiny Southerner glared daggers every time he saw the two of them together, but they were subtle daggers. He could have been far more obvious about it, a fact for which Cassidy was most grateful.

Kris had been working himself ragged at the store, recently and both Adam and Cassidy had decided that enough was enough. They didn't like seeing Kris dead on his feet at the end of the day and the fact that Adam constantly worried about Kris meant that Cassidy's chances of sleeping with him dwindled further and further every day until he was seriously starting to think that he'd never have sex ever again (which was a lie, Cassidy could get fucked by whoever he wanted to get fucked by, but right now he was focused on Adam so no one else would be good enough).

Adam spent a lot of time between their apartments. He loved seeing what Cassidy was working on, and he enjoyed getting to spend time with Kris. They did stupid things like watch movies and talk about their favourite actors and actresses, spending hours just discussing everything and nothing until they were both so tired that they fell asleep on the couch, Kris leaning against Adam and their heads touching. They made each other laugh and feel comfortable in a way that neither of them had ever had before and Cassidy was all too aware of this because if Kris felt it, he felt it. Not as acutely, but he still felt it and occasionally he also felt like a bastard because he knew exactly what he would be robbing Kris of if he did steal Adam away for sex.

But more than that, Cassidy had actually kind of seen Kris falling a little bit more in love with Adam each time they spent time together. Every laugh and every smile from Kris was wider than it had been since they met and he was _happy_. Genuinely happy. Even with just friendship. He was one of those people who was content just to have that special person in their life somehow. For Cassidy that had never been enough, maybe that was why he'd been so unhappy before?

It had taken both Adam and Cassidy to repeatedly bitch and whine at Kris to make him actually agree to come to the open mic night. After all, he might have started writing again (not that he'd told anyone, but Cassidy knew: guardian angel and all that) but he had yet to pick up his guitar and play and he had yet to actually set foot on a stage or even give a private show. He knew about the deal Kris and Adam had made: if Kris got to hear Adam sing, then Adam would get to hear Kris play. It was a win win situation for them all because Cassidy then would have fulfilled what he was down here to do, get himself out of purgatory and finally get into heaven where there were cocktails, glittery clothes and all the dance music and pretty men a boy could want.

Of course nothing was ever that easy though and Cassidy bemoaned ever thinking that it was. Of course they'd have to reschedule because Adam had something at the theatre that he couldn't miss, and then Kris managed to wheedle himself out of it at the last minute when they had rearranged claiming something to do with 'work'. Adam and Cassidy had gone, though. Kris had just about given them permission to do "whatever" and Cassidy had an internal dance of glee at the idea of being able to spend a whole night with Adam all on his own.

It hadn't gone to plan. Adam had spent the majority of the night talking about Kris, and then they discussed the cute men and just exactly what they would do to said men. Nothing about them came up, though Adam's eyes did linger on Cassidy's mouth when he was taking the cocktail-stick speared cherry out of his drink and pulling it off the wooden stake obscenely, but could he be blamed? Cassidy certainly thought not. He relished in the attention.

Apparently as long as Kris gave him permission to have his own life, he could. Something that Cassidy decided he needed to remember because that information was fucking vital. It was great, knowing that he wasn't stuck haunting the store where Kris worked like a stalker or stuck in his apartment like an old man every night. Maybe this angel thing wasn't so bad?

He and Adam got along well enough. Not as well as Kris and Adam, but well enough. They did okay in that they laughed and they were both hotter than the sun and with enough alcohol in their systems there was the definite possibility of sex. Cassidy did enjoy spending time with Adam, the guy was smart and sexy and funny and a genuinely good guy. He had some great ideas that Cassidy knew he could use and put into his work and he was really looking forward to taking part in the costume design for this production Adam was doing. They spent hours pouring over the designs, Cassidy laughing at Adam's repeated questions of "can we have more feathers?" and "if that was covered in glitter...?"

But this night was supposed to be about getting Kris up and playing and he was knocking on Kris' door impatiently. Adam was waiting in his apartment, all dressed up and ready to go. He was in a pair of black jeans that looked like they had been painted on and black boots that the jeans slid into quite nicely. He had a white shirt on and a black waistcoat and Cassidy found himself wanting to lick along the line of Adam's collarbone that was just hinted, teasingly exposed.

"Come on Kristopher," he shouted through the door. Adam was looking amazing and edible in his lounge and here he was in the hallway staring at Kris' door. "You promised you'd come so you can't make us late, that's going back on your promise."

He felt Adam come up behind him and there was a shudder up his spine. He turned his head to see the taller man with those intense eyes rimmed with kohl and glitter to make the blue sparkle.

"He's hiding in there," Cassidy said, rapping his knuckles on the door again. He rolled his eyes, "I'm gonna finish getting ready, you can wrestle him out of the room."

He winked at Adam and brushed past him as he headed back across the hall. He didn't have to brush past Adam, but he wanted to. Adam's breath had caught as well, so he wasn't barking up the wrong tree or anything with the whole thing.

He retreated into his apartment but he left the door open so he could hear everything that was happening in the background as he bopped to the music in his head and finished his fabulous ensemble with his 'fuck me' jeans and jacket. He had designer stubble: he could grow it, Kris couldn't and it was definitely something that he teased the younger man about whenever he could. Kris was such a little boy.

He checked his hair, spraying himself with a liberal amount of hair spray that contained the odd sprinkling of glitter. It shimmered when he tipped his head a fraction in each direction.

He felt a tugging somewhere in the back of his mind and it felt a lot like Allison trying to get through to him. He closed his eyes and focused on locating that irritating niggle that he had quickly learned to associate with the NDARS office-to-angel hotline. _Sorry honey, Cassidy Haley isn't here right now, but if you leave a message, he'll get back to you as soon as possible._

It persisted for a few more moments before he felt the connection wither and finally drop away and he was, thankfully, niggle-less which meant he could enjoy his evening and watch Adam perform and watch Kris play his guitar and feel a great sense of benediction that he'd done what he was supposed to do. Then he could have some sex, go back up to the offices and get his paperwork that meant he could be on his way to getting away from being an angel and towards the debauchery he was rapidly convincing himself had to be on the other side of those pearly gates. There had to be debauchery, right? Only somewhere that contained alcohol and sex would have pearly fucking gates.

Of course he didn't have time to ruminate because Kris and Adam appeared at his door and were tapping their feet in equal parts impatience and amusement because the only reason Cassidy was touching up his appearance was because Kris was being a princess about the whole thing and taking ages to get ready. He huffed that it was because the two men in his life wouldn't let him get away with going out wearing his favourite plaid shirt and jeans combo, instead making him wear some kind of blue shirt, white tee and tight jeans thing that Kris felt totally weird in and had insisted on at least being able to wear his converse. Adam had given in on that point, making some comment about how the scuffed sneakers were cute, and Cassidy just despaired and decided he was taking Kris shoe shopping too.

"Come on," Adam said, arm draped loosely over Kris' shoulders, Kris' was around his waist. They looked like they belonged together, it was kind of sickening in Cassidy's opinion, "otherwise we'll miss the open mic."

"And wouldn't that be a shame," Kris drawled, accent lengthening his vowels and Cassidy noted the way that Adam's eyes dropped to Kris' mouth. Instead of commenting on the perfect not-couple, Cassidy just snorted, shook his head and pushed past them both.

"We're going, Adam needs to get his sing on, and you made a promise," Cassidy said with a shrug as he locked his apartment and then flounced down the corridor. He stopped at the top of the stairs and turned on his heel to look at Adam and Kris, they were just watching him, still standing beside the door. "You two coming or what?"

Adam's grin was positively wicked. "You know we are, twice a night, isn't that right baby? " he said with a salacious wink, ignoring the way that Kris' cheeks went pink and the indignant splutter that wanted to rise up in him.

Cassidy laughed at the colour Kris was rapidly turning. "You selling tickets for that yet?" he retorted smoothly as he was joined by Kris and Adam and they headed down the stairwell, Adam's laughter drowning out Kris' mutter of _if anything were happening, you'd be the last person to get an invite to watch_. Rather rude and uncalled for, if you asked Cassidy, but no one ever did so it wasn't like his opinion counted for much. It was _so_ hard being Cassidy Haley.

Stepping out into the street made Cassidy feel a little bit like he was in The Wizard of Oz. Which of the walking cliches applied to him he didn't know, but he was fully aware that Kris Allen was Dorothy Gale. None of the other cliches - except maybe Glinda the Good Witch - really fitted him, but he was pretty sure that if Adam knew what he was thinking about, he'd call the Good Witch quicker than a flash and Cassidy would be left with the Wicked Witch of the West or something... That wouldn't be too bad; after all, she had killer ruby slippers, or silver slippers if he was going by the book. So maybe he could handle that comparison.

Along with feeling somewhat like Frank Baum characters, Cassidy was aware of how odd it looked, the three of them. Kris was the smallest and in the middle, dressed in normal people clothes instead of his usual plaid, but he still looked more like a straight man than the two flamboyant fairies on either side of him dressed in glitter and tight clothes and make up adorning their fabulous faces. Cassidy had suggested putting make-up on Kris once and from the look on the younger man's face, he decided that it was an avenue that was definitely not open to him. Make-up and Kris Allen were not destined to be friends. However, there was a particularly sparkly and wonderful man called Adam Lambert that was totally open to the wonders of make-up and actually knew things that Cassidy didn't, so they were a match made in Heaven, clearly, except for the part where they weren't because Cassidy was an angel and therefore probably not allowed to get into long term relationships and he wasn't really a fan of the 'relationship' thing anyway, he much preferred one night stands, or friends with benefits.

The bar they were going to was nondescript; it wasn't really very big, but it wasn't a hole in the wall either. Cassidy didn't frequent dives, and neither did Adam. Places like that were hell on the complexion. Not that Kris cared about things like that, and Cassidy was still making it his personal mission to change that plebeian way of thinking.

It was packed with people, the word had spread that _Adam Lambert_ was coming to sing tonight. He didn't often grace the open mic nights anymore, but it was worth it to get Kris singing or playing, even though the little Arkansas native hadn't brought his guitar. His fingers flexed at his sides as the first few strings of acoustic guitar music filtered through the open door and out into the air, greeting their ears. He felt that maybe he should have had it with him, but then that would have meant he couldn't get out of performing.

Maybe there would be a guitar up there he could use. He wasn't rubbish on an instrument that wasn't his own, he just preferred it. His girl had been with him for so many years and he'd taught himself to play on her that he didn't want to think about replacing her considering he owed everything to the instrument back in his apartment. It was the last thing he'd packed and the first thing he'd taken out when he arrived in LA, even if he hadn't played much over the last year.

It took them ten minutes to get through to the bar and then another five to order a drink and get Adam's name down on the list of people that were going to be performing. He hadn't even officially said he would, but he scribbled his name down and then held the pen out to Kris, looking at him curiously. Cassidy's look was a little more expectant, like he would get something out of it if Kris sang, but Kris just ordered them drinks and shook his head, pushing the pen back towards Adam gently.

"Maybe later," he said with a small smile and Adam returned it affectionately, pushing the clipboard back towards the end of the bar. He wrapped an arm over Kris' shoulders and the smaller man tucked himself into the spot happily, content to just stand there whilst he waited for their drinks. Adam's hand closed around Kris' shoulder and his thumb smoothed gently over the fabric of his shirt. Kris looked happy, content and comfortable. Cassidy rolled his shoulders, wishing a little bit that maybe Adam would put his arm around him too, but then he knew that Kris was more one for the cuddling. Cassidy didn't really like extended cuddles. When they were there for a purpose, like sneaking a quick grope or something then he was all for it, but otherwise a hug should be short and firm.

"_Maybe_ later?" Adam teased as the bartender pushed the beer towards Kris, the JD and coke towards Cassidy and the cocktail in Adam's direction. He picked up the cocktail and took a sip of it, keeping his arm around Kris' shoulders. Kris glanced up at him for a moment before he smiled and settled exactly where he was. He took a sip of his beer and glanced at Cassidy.

"Yeah," he said from where he was safely nestled against Adam's side, "maybe later." He took another sip of his beer as they weaved their way through the crowds to find a table. There weren't many, but their timing was perfect because Cassidy slipped forward and found them a table. People were just leaving and Cassidy laid claim to the table pretty damn quickly.

Sitting down, it was easy enough for the three of them to just talk the time away. Having worked himself between the two of them, Cassidy kept the conversation flowing, aware of the slightly uncomfortable air coming from Kris' side of the table. He put it down to the fact that Kris was out of his comfort zone and actually outside in the real world socialising instead of being allowed to wallow in his sweatpants, watching bad movies and eating take out. It had nothing to do with the fact that he was seated next to Adam and Kris wasn't. Adam didn't seem that bothered, at least, as far as Cassidy noticed.

It didn't get any better when, halfway through the night and before Adam had even performed, Kris had gotten to his feet and wriggled out from the table, announcing that he was going home and that he hoped that they'd have a fun night together.

Adam reached out to touch Kris, pull him back and Kris jerked away like Adam's touch was kryptonite. Kris knew all too well that if Adam touched him, he'd stay and end up playing third wheel all night.

"And next up, we've got an old favourite, Adam Lambert!"

Adam looked helplessly at Kris, trying to ask him to stay with his eyes even as he was shunted towards the stage by a couple of people that had recognised him. The spotlight that had illuminated him hadn't helped.

He headed up to the stage just in time to see Kris leaving the venue. Cassidy looked at Adam and lifted one shoulder. He had no clue.

\+ + +

It was a good thing, Kris thought, that he had decided against singing at the open mic night. He wasn't ready. The mere thought of performing made him think of Katy, it made him think of Adam, it made him think of the (not so) numerous people he'd had in his life that had influenced his music in one way or another only to turn around at the last moment and remind him that he would never actually be able to live the dream or have what he wanted.

He scowled at his reflection as he stood in the bathroom, the man looking at him back through the mirror was upset and frustrated and pissed off. Kris wasn't pissed off very often, but being the third wheel on a night out he hadn't even wanted to partake in had been the final straw for him. He didn't want to watch Cassidy making eyes at Adam (and he didn't even want to know how Cassidy could even do the whole sex thing; he was an _angel_ for God's sake), and he didn't want to be party to their flirt-fest. He didn't want to see it and he knew all too well that he shouldn't have to. It didn't stop them from parading it in front of his face, though, did it. No.

He'd left the bar about two hours ago, and maybe it had been childish of him to have hoped that maybe Adam would come after him, or Cassidy at the very least because Cassidy was _his_ guardian angel. But apparently not.

It was pathetic, but Kris was keeping half an ear out for when Cassidy came home so that he could ask him what was going on and what happened. Try and be the bigger man. Ask if they had fun, ask whether or not there was anyone fun singing, if anything crazy happened. He'd also got it into his mind that he should apologise because he didn't suit the whining bitch skin, and he didn't like the way that jealousy made him feel. It wasn't like anything would happen between them anyway: Cassidy was an angel and Adam was just... Adam. He was kind of untouchable, besides, Kris knew Adam enjoyed his company. He could settle with friends, because for some reason their three-way friendship just worked. In the space of about ten minutes he'd managed to talk himself out of being stupidly jealous and angry into something a lot calmer and more rational. He knew that being angry at Adam and Cassidy for being friends wasn't fair.

It wasn't like they were actually going to make out or anything.

When stumbling footsteps and hushed voices in the hallway drew Kris' attention, he was on his feet in an instant. Never mind that he'd been sat on his couch in his pyjamas for the better part of three hours waiting for this exact moment. He didn't even check the peep-hole to make sure that it was them and not someone else. Having placated himself and reassured himself that what he was imagining was impossible, he'd actually ended up being excited to see Cassidy and, more importantly, Adam.

With that settled in his mind, Kris opened the door and stepped outside. His smile froze though.

The sight that greeted him when he opened the door should have been impossible. Kris' logic was rarely ever wrong. He shouldn't have seen Cassidy's fingers curling in the lapel of Adam's shirt as he pulled him closer, and he shouldn't have seen the way that their faces met in the middle, laughing as they kissed. He shouldn't have, but he did.

Something inside of Kris twisted, that ugly emotion he never wanted to give a name to straining against the cage he kept it in. Envy was one of the seven deadly sins.

He didn't know what sparked him to speak up, perhaps the fact that Cassidy's hand was groping for the door handle so he didn't have to remove his face from Adam's.

"You guys might want to take that inside," he said after clearing his throat and Adam pulled back like Cassidy was suddenly burning him. He looked caught out, almost a little embarrassed and ashamed, like being seen - by Kris - kissing Cassidy was not a good thing on his list. It definitely wasn't. "Because Mr Cowell doesn't like shit happening in the hallway and some of us don't want to see or hear it."

"Kris-" Adam started, even moving back from Cassidy and reaching out with one hand. Kris just backed into his apartment properly.

"Don't. I'm a big boy. I can handle it."

He shut the door in Adam's face, turned his back against it and then slid down to the floor. He could hear Adam protesting as Cassidy tried to apologise to Adam of all people. Adam was alternating between talking to Kris and talking to Cassidy.

This sucked.

\+ + +

"Kris, c'mon, open the door," Adam said, knocking against it with the palm of his hand. He blew out a breath. "Shit."

"Adam- you just need to give him some time." Cassidy said, rubbing his hand across the back of his mouth and then scratching at the back of his neck. "It just- we're not doing anything wrong." Cassidy muttered. "Right? I mean, I want this, you want this."

"But Kris is upset," Adam pointed out and Cassidy hated that there was a part of him that wanted to stop because of the way that Kris had looked. That tug was in his chest again, the way that it always was whenever there was something wrong with Kris. "I should- I need to check on him."

Cassidy just touched Adam's arm, squeezing his elbow gently. "C'mon, he's not gonna open up the door again tonight." He sighed, "I'm sorry, Adam, I didn't think-" And wasn't that just the problem? Cassidy never thought, he never had done. And now someone he actually genuinely liked was hurting. Because of him and his stupid selfish desires.

Yeah, well done Cassidy.

"You can crash on my couch tonight," he said, letting go of Adam and walking towards his front door, pushing it open. "I'll leave the door on the latch, just come in when you're done trying to talk to Kris through the wall."

Adam just nodded, knocking the heel of his hand against Kris' door again. The lock had been clicked; something Kris never usually did. They had an open-door policy, a lack of respect for each others' privacy that should have come from years of trust and camaraderie. With Adam it had just happened, just clicked. Cassidy had known that and as he shut the door behind himself and heard Adam pleading with Kris to open the door, the sudden guilt he felt was overwhelming. The volume of which was totally uncalled for considering his transgression had been relatively minor in comparison to some of the things he'd done in his life.

Suddenly he realised that it wasn't just a fling for Kris. It wasn't going to be taken as 'just for fun' by someone who only did serious relationships. Cassidy felt like his chest was being constricted.

God, what had he done?

\+ + +

The NDARS offices were in uproar at the actions happening on the surface. Many angels wondered if their charges hadn't gone insane, the sudden influx of Guardians being sent to the surface was insane. Allison had been busy, busier than she'd been in a long time. Paperwork kept poofing into existence on her desk and when she saw Cassidy Haley being pulled up through the floor, a few tufts of cloud hanging onto him, she grimaced.

She wasn't going to admit that she'd been watching the events unfold, except she totally had. She'd been watching them all with a morbid fascination that should have been disturbing. Adam and Kris seemed so cool, like if she was alive, they were people she would have wanted to spend time with, and the way that their lives and their souls were connected, twined and linked across the ages was cute too. Not that Cassidy had been making it easy for himself, getting involved and meddling in things he should have just left well enough alone.

That was the reason he had been Called today, yanked up from where he'd been slacking on his job and indulging in pleasures of the flesh when he should have been looking after Kris and making sure Kris did what he needed to be doing.

Cassidy had been interfering with someone else's charge and that? Well, that was rule number three in the handbook. Not that Cassidy would know that, though, because Allison was convinced he'd just snuck a magazine into the pages of The Handbook when she'd made him read it. Even if he hadn't, she knew he wouldn't have paid that much attention to it. She wished he would; Cassidy wasn't a bad person, just a little... misguided, and perhaps if the paperwork had been sorted out properly, it wouldn't have taken so long for him to have been helped.

Allison tapped her pen against the table as Cassidy looked around in confusion. An angel of his grade couldn't send himself back down to Earth so he was stuck twiddling his fingers until the Guardian that had pulled him up appeared.

And appear she did. Paula was one of the highest ranking Angels in the NDARS. She had a glow about her that made her look even more angelic and ethereal than the huge white wings did and she'd long since earned her passage to Beyond, but she didn't take it because she enjoyed helping people so much. Allison often wondered what she had done in her life that meant she'd had to come and be part of the NDARS. It was hard to imagine her doing something that wasn't awesome.

Cassidy looked across from the book he was plucking off a nearby bookshelf when she appeared. Her arrival was heralded by almost everything except a hallelujah chorus (and that was probably only because Ryan was out of the office today and he had the twisted sense of humour that he'd find that funny). He spotted the angel, beautiful and radiant as he would have expected from someone who had a welcoming committee like that, but what he wasn't sure on was the scowl that sat on her face.

Or why that particular scowl was focused on him. Solely focused on him. It made him feel kind of uncomfortable. His wings fluttered nervously. Why did she look like she wanted to eviscerate him?

Paula approached slowly and Cassidy just stated at her a little bit more. "Cassidy Haley, I presume," she said, holding out her hand. He felt obliged to take it rather than taking it because he wanted to. He kind of felt like he would have his wings torn off him if he refused the woman's hand. When he shook it firmly, he felt a jolt shoot up his arm. She didn't let go, instead closed her fingers around his and held on tightly as she turned and started pulling him along behind her. "I think we should talk in private, don't you?"

"I-"

"I knew you'd agree with me," she said, sounding almost delighted and that sent a cold shiver down Cassidy's spine. His wings flailed uselessly. He shot a glance over to Allison who just shook her head at him and shrugged, holding up a piece of paper that read _She's Adam's Guardian_.

Oh. Shit.

"Look, Miss-"

"Paula," she said, cutting Cassidy off again as she lead him down a corridor that seemed to just spring up out of the floor and form around them as she walked. He wondered if all the hallways were like this for everyone, or if the sheer magnitude of Paula's awesome was causing buildings to just manifest around her. "Paula Abdul."

Pulling him aside, another room sprung up around them, this one had CDs on the walls encased in plaques, a comfortable-looking sofa and a desk with the squishiest chair Cassidy had ever seen. It even looked like it was designed with a dip in the back to accommodate wings.

The door shut by itself and Cassidy jumped as Paula let go of his hand and walked over to the desk. She rested on the edge, curling her hands around the wood on either side of her.

"Your head is pretty," she started, looking at him critically. Cassidy felt like she could look right through him. She was an angel, really high up, she probably could. The thought unnerved him. "But it's completely empty."

Cassidy's eyebrows lifted. "Excuse me?" he asked, managing to feel insulted and surprised all at once.

Paula waved one hand, almost perfectly manicured and another chair appeared. She indicated for Cassidy to sit down in it. Apparently they were going to be there for a while. "Did you read the handbook?" she asked, "Because in the handbook, section three, paragraph four, it states that a Guardian will not mess with another Guardian's charge. And there's another section explicitly explaining how you are not allowed to pursue pleasures of the flesh when down on Earth."

Cassidy folded his arms, having sank into the chair. "I may have glanced over it. I didn't know Adam was your charge, Paula," he protested, "And nothing's going on there, we're just having a bit of fun, that's all."

Paula's eyes darkened and her wings stretched and flexed a little menacingly. Cassidy laced his fingers together to stop him from picking at the edge of his clothes.

"Just having a bit of fun?" she repeated, her voice climbing up a little bit in disbelief. "You realise that this is your only chance at getting to Beyond, right? Out of this purgatory stage? You do realise this, yes?" Cassidy just nodded. Paula got to her feet again and glided closer, looking down at him. From that angle, she was almost intimidating. "And you're messing with _my_ Charge. _My_ Charge. You have no right to be doing anything of the sort, particularly not when your Charge is not doing very well at all. You know why? Because you're not doing your job. He's miserable again, just after he was getting better."

She narrowed her eyes as Cassidy squared his jaw. "Excuse me," he started, getting to his feet, "I think you'll find that my Charge is doing just fine. Kris is alright. Badly dressed and way too shy but he's doing fine. I happen to know he's even playing music again and writing."

"But do you know why?"

"Yeah, because Adam's been- Oh." Cassidy swallowed as he remembered the observations he had made of the writing process for Kris. It was because Adam had been spending time with Cassidy, because Adam, who Kris _liked_ had been spending time with Cassidy and they had been flirting and playing and Kris didn't like that. Kris wanted Adam for himself, not to share with Cassidy.

His wings drooped a little as he rubbed his hand over his face.

Paula just nodded her head. "You're messing things up for your own Charge too. And if you don't get him on the right Path before the deadline, you'll either be reassigned or you'll just be sent away." Cassidy's gaze shot to her, alarmed, "Yes, they weren't kidding. You have one shot."

"But-"

\+ + +

The door to Kris' apartment opened and Adam turned on the spot. It wasn't like he understood why Kris had freaked out so much, it wasn't like Kris was the kind of guy who would go for someone like Adam, even if Kris himself was perfect. If Adam could have handpicked the traits that went into his perfect guy, well, even he couldn't have put together someone as perfect as Kris. Even that stupid stubborn streak and that really awful dress sense culminated in things that Adam liked about him. Maybe even a loved a little. Not a lot, but a little.

"Look, Kris, I'm really sorry about-" He cut himself off because, really, he didn't know what he was sorry for. He hadn't done anything wrong by kissing Cassidy; they'd both been drinking, they both wanted it and it wasn't like Kris wanted him so it was all good, right? Yet Adam still felt the need to apologise. That always annoyed him.

Kris just shook his head, the self-deprecation in that move alone making Adam's heart hurt. "No, I shoulda- I mean, I overreacted." It was a quiet admission, coupled with a hand reaching to awkwardly rub at the back of his neck. "I shouldnta just flipped like that. Not like it's any of my business what you and Cass' do with each other, right?"

He looked up at Adam, an expression behind his eyes that maybe neither one of them wanted to actually admit to understanding.

"I mean, you're both grown men."

Adam sighed. He'd been hoping for jealousy or something along those lines. He'd been hoping that Kris had been reacting because Kris wanted _him_.

"Yeah, we are. But don't worry, it won't happen again."

Adam could have sworn he saw something spark behind Kris' eyes when he said that. He didn't brush it off as wishful thinking, it wasn't. Adam wasn't that desperate (yet). Kris smiled and tilted his head a little.

"Well, as long as you're sure. I don't wanna cockblock or anything." He chuckled and took half a step backwards, silently inviting Adam into his apartment. It was nothing like anything Adam would ever want to live in but he felt more at home in it than he did in his own place. Slowly but surely he'd started spending more time here and less time there. It wasn't like they were even together, they just enjoyed each other's company, watched movies, talked about boys (which was so girly it made Adam's balls want to crawl back up inside him) and then fell asleep on the couch. It was so domestic it should have made Adam want to flee. Instead, it was the opposite: Adam craved these visits, and from the desperately quick way Kris always opened the door, it was clear that he enjoyed them too.

"I'm sure. We've both just had a bit too much to drink." Adam reassured, reaching out and clapping his hand on Kris' shoulder. Kris hitched up into the touch a little and tilted his head again to look up at Adam. "So I might pass out on you at some point."

"Not _on_ me," Kris said, wrinkling his nose and shoving gently at Adam's side, "Sleeping Adam is heavy." He grinned to soften the tease - they all knew how sensitive Adam could be about his weight and instead just knocked the door shut and slid under Adam's arm to the spot against his side. It meant that the arm that had been on his shoulder slid around him.

Adam laughed, "I might just for that, Tiny." He twitched when Kris poked him in the side. "Don't start with that, it's mean."

"Don't call me tiny and I won't open the window and yell to the world you're a closet red-head." Kris said, trying to look threatening but just ending up looking kind of ruffled. Threatening wasn't something one could do when faced with someone who was just about half a foot taller than you.

"You wouldn't," Adam said, mock horrified. The laugh was just underneath the surface, like the smile that kept threatening to escape. He darted forward and caught Kris around the waist when the smaller man made a break for the window.

Adam was about to pick him up when he turned his head, spotting papers on the table. They had Kris' familiar scrawl all over them. Kris froze.

"They're nothin'," he said quickly, "I mean, just some stuff I was working on before that I thought I could maybe finish 'cause I've had a song in my head for days now and it's just-"

"Can I hear one?" Adam asked, and Kris just lifted one shoulder, looked down. "Please?"

Kris chewed his lower lip and stood in front of Adam, their toes nearly touching. It was ridiculous, Adam's huge pointed snake-skin boots opposite Kris' bare feet. Adam lifted a hand and caught Kris' chin gently between his finger and thumb, lifting his head. "Just one song?" he asked, eyes drifting down to Kris' lower lip when it was licked, tongue darting out over it.

"I-"

But when Kris' eyes darted towards his guitar in the corner and then back to Adam, Adam knew he had already won.

\+ + +

When Cassidy finally reappeared, a couple of the people who had been in the reception area when he had been pulled away went back to what they were doing like they hadn't been waiting for him to come out. Allison took one look at his face and grimaced sympathetically. Even Cassidy's wings had a slight droop to them.

She tapped her fingers on the desk to get his attention and Cassidy dragged his gaze her way.

"What did she say to you, honey?" she asked, leaning her elbows on the counter and resting her chin in her hands, "Can't have been good."

"Adam's her charge," he said flatly, "and I'm screwing up and they'll send me straight to wherever it is that isn't Beyond or here if I don't fix it. That's why I was sent there, to fix shit." His wings fluttered as he ran his fingers through his hair, clearly frustrated and upset. "But how am I supposed to fix something if I don't know what it is I'm supposed to fix? I mean, I know I need to fix Kris, but fuck, there's so much of him that needs fixing and some of him that's actually not that bad. So what do I focus on? What's his fucking destiny? I'm supposed to just _know_ and I don't and it doesn't-" he cut himself off when he realised - finally - that there were other people in the reception area.

Wow, he was really growing as a person. Two months ago he would have noticed everyone immediately and been totally aware of their attentions.

Allison just sighed and stretched her wings out. The red-tinted tips just touched the ceiling. "I can't tell you what to do, I work at the reception desk," she gave a slightly rueful smile. "But I can tell you that you'll know when you're doing it right. Just like you'll know when you're not."

Cassidy thought back to that crushing guilt he felt, the few times over the last couple of months where he'd felt guilty and hurt for no apparent reason or with a strength that was way out of proportion for the situation. Was that a sign that he was doing something wrong?

"I know that's not much help," Allison was saying, oblivious to Cassidy's thought processes. She was picking at the edge of her nail. "It's all I can tell you though, I mean, they don't let me see the Book or anything like that. I don't think anyone gets to see it."

Cassidy just reached over and squeezed her wrist. "Thanks, sweetie," he said and looked at the ground, trying to think himself through it and back to his apartment. Adam was probably on the couch right now, trying to get some sleep and wondering where it was that Cassidy had disappeared to. "How do I...?" he asked, jumping once on the floor as if that would make any difference.

Allison's lip curled upwards and she just quirked an eyebrow. The ground seemed to give underneath Cassidy's feet and he was falling.

_God_, he thought, squeezing his eyes shut past the rushing of air, _I hate this bit._

\+ + +

"I don't understand her music," Kris said with a huffed breath as he put his hands over the strings of his guitar. He'd stopped playing a while ago, he and Adam had just been talking whilst he strummed idly, flushing at the innuendos that kept slipping out of Adam's mouth regarding talented fingers. "I mean, she's a great performer and she's definitely an individual artist, but I just don't get her."

Adam tipped his head back as he laughed, it was a low belly laugh, rich in sound and Kris loved the way that it seemed to warm him up. They'd done nothing but sing together and play since he'd let Adam in, but it felt more intimate than their many nights of falling asleep on the couch watching bad TV shows put together. He didn't know what that said about him that he got the warm-fuzzies from playing music and watching Adam sing, but he was pretty sure he didn't want to dissect it to find out.

"How can you not get her? She sings about the fame monster," he grinned at Kris, looking pleased with himself for managing to stick in the artist's album title whilst describing her. "And she always has the most fabulous outfits. She seems totally awesome."

"I think you mean eccentric," Kris corrected dryly, thumb catching on the g-string as he absently made it ring out in the silence as Adam just stared at him, horrified at Kris' dismissal of Lady Gaga.

"No way, the woman's a genius. And she- well, yeah actually, eccentric's a nice way to describe her."

Kris lifted his eyebrow, "Good, I'm glad you approve. My next guess was gonna be weird." He winked and tongued his tooth unconsciously as he formed his left hand into another chord, sliding it up and down the neck of the guitar and over the frets with absent confidence.

"We woulda had to stop being friends instantly if you'd called her weird," Adam announced seriously, folding his arms. "So I guess it's a good thing you didn't."

Kris wrinkled his nose. "I don't think we'll ever agree on that," he pointed out, throwing a pillow in Adam's direction at the look shot his way. "You're in my apartment, we'll not talk about her. I'm sure Cassidy loves her and her weird costumes but-"

"Did you just call her weird?" Adam asked, eyebrow lifting as he curled his hand around the pillow Kris had tossed in his direction to help make him more comfortable. Kris' lips quirked at the edges. "You did. I- Kris Allen, you'll get it now."

Adam threw the pillow at Kris with the aim of someone who grew up with a younger sibling that constantly tried to one-up you. Kris dodged it, moving at an admirable speed but Kris was nothing if not predictable and Adam was a cheat so the second pillow hit him square in the face. Adam's lips twitched at the surprised expression that appeared in Kris' eyes and the slight 'o' of his mouth that very quickly turned into a scowl. Adam tried to keep a straight face, he did, but he failed kind of miserably. Once he started laughing, Kris followed, throwing both pillows back and being very wide of his target because he was laughing too hard.

\+ + +

Cassidy hit the hallway harder than normal and it knocked the wind out of him. He struggled to take in a breath and thought that he needed a drink, possibly a cosmopolitan. Or something like that, anything but a beer. Kris only ever had lite beer in his fridge anyway. He was a bad bisexual and a really bad gay man.

He tilted his head at the sound of laughter from the other side of Kris' door and knew that Adam was in there. Adam was really the only one that could make Kris laugh like that. He wondered if Kris had laughed as hard with anyone else before, he always looked so surprised when he started laughing. It was something he and Adam had found intensely amusing and Adam had confided in Cassidy that he liked it when Kris laughed, he thought that he needed to laugh more.

Pressing his palm against the door, Cassidy closed his eyes and felt his wings flex behind him. A furtive glance down the corridor had Cassidy taking in a deep breath and feeling that strange sensation that accompanied masking himself wash over him. He'd read about it in the Handbook, he knew it would feel strange, but it was an innate ability all Guardians had. His wings fluttered, unsettled as he walked through the door, completely intangible and apparently completely invisible.

He wet his lower lip and moved closer, his footsteps making no sound on the floor, though, when he looked down, that could have been because he was floating slightly off the ground. He pitched forward when he noticed this but didn't hit the ground. Instead, his wings flapped and uprighted him again. He rubbed his hand over his jawline and stopped behind the couch where Adam and Kris were laughing.

They'd moved to sit next to each other now. Kris' guitar had a place on the arm chair that Kris usually frequented.

Cassidy watched the warmth between them, able to see the light that surrounded them and passed between them as they talked and shared energies. The love that radiated that neither of them could see or sense, thick-headedness making each believe they were unworthy of the other.

He'd never seen anything so beautiful; the way that Kris' light changed when Adam reached out and nudged his shoulder or the way that Adam's brightened when Kris laughed and slumped to the side, resting against Adam in a way that meant the elder had to lift his arm and wrap it around Kris' shoulder for comfort's sake. They way that they blended together perfectly in a halo of light that made Cassidy's heart swell almost painfully. He couldn't believe he'd nearly stopped this.

The energy in the room was positively charged, electrified. He felt on edge just watching them.

Adam had his arm over Kris' shoulders, the smaller man just nestled happily in at Adam's side, eyes closed as he talked about Arkansas. There was a slight downward tilt to the curve of his mouth as he talked and Adam pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

For Cassidy, the conversation sounded as though he were underwater.

_"I mean, it's not that they- I did love her, I really did. She just wasn't-"_

"Wasn't enough?"

"She could have been. She really could have been. I wanted her to be. I loved her so much and I was willing to just stop everything for her but she- she wanted more than I could give."

"Well, that sucks. She obviously didn't realise what she was letting go."

"I guess not... but I just couldn't- I mean, she'd been such a huge inspiration for me musically that when she divorced me and I had to watch my brother get married and be happy it was just too much."

"I know that feeling. I've done the theatre circuit for as long as I can remember. I wanted to do more, always have. Just never seem to be able to get the break."

"I don't know why, you're incredible."

"Even though I can't play anything?"

"You don't need to, voice like that. Me I-"

"Don't finish that sentence. You're incredible."

"...Y-You think so?"

"Yeah, I really do."

\+ + +

It seemed a little bit like things were falling into place after that. Only a little bit, mind because Kris was still a thick-headed idiot that couldn't dress himself and Adam was still a sparkly queen that didn't think he was worthy of what was clearly laid out on a plate in front of him. Cassidy had taken it upon himself to play matchmaker if he couldn't actually have Adam, the next best thing in his mind was to give Adam to Kris who clearly deserved him and who clearly wanted him more than air. It didn't hurt that Adam also wanted Kris just as much.

Having decided that it was his solemn duty to play Cupid (something that had apparently upset the _real_ Cupid, but Cassidy wasn't about to start running around in a diaper and carrying a bow and arrow: he was gay enough as it was, thank you very much), apparently Allison had managed to get his invisible leash turned off, meaning that it didn't hurt him quite so much to be apart from Kris.

That also meant he could put some insidious plans into action, and one of those insidious plans was getting himself 'hired' as the wardrobe director and coordinator of Adam's broadway performance. What? Cassidy loved clothes and it meant he could get Kris free tickets to the shows and he got to have his hands all over beautiful fabrics and beautiful people. What reason did he have to complain at that?

"Adam," he started, shifting a little in the chair he was sitting in. Even though when he was on the ground he didn't have his wings unless he chose to reveal them (instead he had two long, thin black marks down his back between his shoulder blades), he remembered the weight and feel and sometimes it was uncomfortable.

Adam looked over from where he was applying his make up. They had artists to do it for them, but Adam liked doing his own eyeliner and foundation. He didn't like the way that sometimes he could still see his freckles. "What?"

"How come you haven't slept with Kris yet?"

The question was simple enough, easy enough but it made Adam drop the make up brush he was holding, knocking over the liquid eyeliner. It dribbled over the counter. There never was a lot of it in each container.

"Shit- I- Cass, that's not really an appropriate question," he chastised, trying to look scandalised but instead he ended up just kind of looking confused and maybe a little turned on. Thoughts of screwing Kris were definitely not ones he needed before going on stage. "What happened to 'Kris is boring' anyway?"

Cassidy had the grace to look ashamed. "I've re-evaluated." Adam didn't look convinced. "Look, I'm a great fuck, but that's it. You look at me like I'd be a great fuck and a good friend. But Kris? I don't know, you look at him differently. I just wanna know why you haven't made a move yet. You know he'd be an awesome fuck and an incredible friend, so what's the deal?"

Adam narrowed his eyes and lifted his hand like he wanted to run his fingers through the strands. Cassidy opened his mouth to stop him because doing so would ruin his hair but Adam caught himself just in time and blew out a frustrated breath. He eyed his hand and then dropped it to his side, clasping the edge of the table. The eyeliner was just sitting in a puddle, forgotten and slowly drying at the edges.

"Do we have to talk about this now?" Adam asked, looking at the time. He was supposed to be warming up in an hour, the show started in two and he didn't think that airing his personal issues with someone back stage in the dressing room was going to put him on top form for the show.

"When else are we gonna talk about it?" Cassidy asked, shifting position and sprawling his long legs over the chair. "I mean, it's just- I think you're scared and I know he is. He's convinced you're way too good for him."

Adam snorted derisively and Cassidy's eyebrow lifted. The expression was a silent challenge: _you don't agree?_

"Kris is great," Adam said finally, lifting his head a little haughtily. "But he's too great. I'm- You've seen me. I'm glitter and gay and fabulousness. I surround myself with queens - you included - and Kris just doesn't... fit." There was a wistful tone in Adam's voice, like he wished Kris would. That Kris in his badly put together plaid and his adorable out-of-time dance steps would just fit seamlessly into Adam's world of glitter and glamour and people who could dance in time. Cassidy chuckled and Adam just narrowed his eyes at him. "I don't even know why you guys are friends," he said a little bitchily because he thought that Cassidy was laughing at _him_, not the situation. "He doesn't seem like the kind of guy you'd give the time of day to."

Cassidy shrugged. "He wasn't. I just- He's cool. I like him. I think I probably missed out on my own Kris when I had the chance."

Adam blinked at him. Cassidy continued.

"Kris is... special. I mean, how many other guys do you know that don't have the same tastes as you but come to every performance of a show just because their friend's in it?" He didn't say anything for a second before adding, "Kris likes you. And I'm worried that I fucked that up for you both because of my own selfish wants."

"Which were?" Adam asked, though they both knew exactly what he was talking about. Cassidy flipped him the bird and let his head drop back, looking at the ceiling. "Yeah, okay, but that's the-" He chewed his lower lip and then cursed because he felt the lipstick smudging.

The tinny speaker in the corner of the room announced that they needed Adam to come on stage and he cursed.

"Cassidy, I don't want to hurt him."

Cassidy just lifted his shoulders. "I think you could end up doing much worse if you don't just _do_ something." He was on his feet now, in front of Adam with the tube of lipstick in his hand. He applied it, dabbed it and then shooed Adam out of the dressing room.

Well. It might not be a grand resolution, but it was a start. Cassidy felt at least a little pleased with himself.

\+ + +

"He's trying, you have to give him that."

"I know, I just think it's too little too late."

"Ryan, you always were harsh on them. Look, he's new and he's doing his best. He really listened to what I had to say."

"...He did seem to come out with renewed vigour after he'd talked to you. What did you promise him?"

"Nothing?"

"Paula..."

"I just said that if he did this one properly, he would get someone who was maybe a little more fashion conscious next time round."

"You know we can't make promises like that!"

"You can try! He's stopped trying to sleep with Adam now. He's playing matchmaker!"

"Yes, and Cupid's nose is out of joint because of it."

"Well, Cupid never grew up properly, he doesn't like sharing."

"That's what happens when you're doomed to spend all of time in a diaper."

"Too true. Do you think he can fix this?"

"I don't see why not. If he keeps trying. Just- I'll have Allison keep an eye on him. Just in case."

"Somehow I don't think she'll be complaining."

\+ + +

Kris put his guitar down and blew out a breath. His fingers were hurting, cramped up from hours sitting hunched over his guitar. His palms hurt, his fingers were sore and his shoulders burned from the position he'd been in, scribbling music down as it came to him, helpless to fight the fiendish songs that were rattling around his head.

Times like this, Katy used to come behind him and dig her fingers into the knots in his shoulders and neck. She wasn't very strong, but he appreciated the effort and at least when she was putting pressure on them the pain eased a little. It made him feel better in that respect and it gave her the feeling that she was doing something that helped him. Even if it was minimal and barely worth doing considering as soon as she let go, it hurt again.

He caught himself missing her so fiercely for a second that he forgot how to breathe, the pain of not having someone like that in his life so sharp it caught him by surprise. He closed his eyes, trying to ignore the way that remembered pain flared up in his chest whenever he thought of Katy, how hurt and betrayed he was by how she'd reacted, divorced him, called him names and evicted him from _their_ house. His home.

"Your hands hurting?" Adam's voice drew him from his thoughts. Kris blinked, there was a hand around his, a thumb that wasn't his own digging into the flesh of Kris' palm and strong fingertips seeking out the pressure and the pain in Kris' left hand. The touch was warm: Adam had just stepped out of the shower.

"Yeah- they- I just get tense." Kris said finally, cheeks flushed as he shifted a little closer to Adam. He smelt like shampoo and his hair was still a little wet. Adam's shower had broken a couple of days ago and his landlord was taking his sweet time in fixing it, so Kris had just offered his. It wasn't like Adam showering was going to drive up his water bill or anything (although, that's what he'd thought _before_ Adam had turned up and taken an hour-long shower). He wet his lower lip and looked at Adam through his eyelashes.

"I can tell," Adam chuckled, his knee knocking Kris' thigh where he was perched on the sofa next to Kris. "Does this happen every time you play?"

"No, only when I've been playing for ages." Kris reassured because the look of worry on Adam's face made Kris feel like he needed to tell him it was alright otherwise Adam might take his guitar away. He couldn't do that; not when Kris had just discovered music again. "Mostly my fingertips hurt all the time, but that's because the strings are nylon, you know?"

"I guess," Adam said, watching Kris rub the back of his neck with his other hand. A strange emotions flickered across his eyes and he tilted his head. "You mind if I sit on the back of the couch?"

Kris looked confused but shrugged, "Go ahead, mi casa es su casa and all that," he offered in a butchered Spanish accent. Adam grinned and kissed Kris' temple as he slid behind him, the cushions bunching up underneath him as he sat down.

He had one leg on either side of Kris and Kris went very still. He could feel Adam's warmth behind him even though they weren't touching. He swallowed, feeling the muscles of his throat moving desperately because his mouth was suddenly really, really dry.

At the first touch of Adam's thumbs to the pressure in the muscles near the base of his neck, Kris' eyes fluttered shut and he dropped his head forward. Strong fingers and thumbs started kneading the tension out and pushing knots over one another to loosen them. Kris let out a couple of sounds that were probably both highly indecent and stupid sounding.

"That feels good, huh?" Adam asked dryly and Kris flushed, hunching his shoulders protectively, embarrassed that Adam had felt the need to comment on his noises.

"It just-" Kris relaxed when Adam's hands insisted he lean back again, return to the position he'd been in. Adam's feet were flat on the couch, his knees near Kris' shoulders. It was too tempting to give in to the urge Kris had to just flop to the side, rest his head against Adam's knee.

He did. Adam's hand faltered for a second.

"Just what?"

Kris wet his lower lip and turned his head a little to see Adam at the very edge of his peripheral vision. "Katy used to do this for me."

The effect it had was instant: Adam stiffened, withdrew his hands even as Kris let out a tiny moan at the loss of pressure. He even started to move when Kris' hand curled around Adam's ankle.

He shifted, twisting properly to look at Adam, brown eyes big and confused and maybe pleading - a little. "Why'd you stop?"

"You- it- _Katy_." Adam waved his hand like that was supposed to explain the lack of coherence with his answer. It didn't, it just made Kris feel irrationally angry that he moved halfway across the country (or something) to get away from her and the effect she'd had on him only for her to end up getting in the way of his life here too.

"Katy and me- we're over, Adam. We were a long time ago, it just took us some time to catch up with what our hearts knew all along. It just- I- yeah, she screwed me over but I'm okay. I'm not gonna break. I-" _want this, want **you**_ "-don't want the shadow of my ex wife to keep messing things up for me. She nearly ruined music. Don't let her ruin massages too."

He added a pout, jutting his lower lip out in the way he knew made Adam laugh (and also it made Adam's eyes darken a little every time but Kris didn't know if Adam was aware of it or if it was even happening: Kris had a very vivid imagination). It had the desired effect and Adam's hands were turning him again a moment later.

"Alright, but you know if you're going to be making sounds like that, I can't be held responsible for what I might do." Adam teased and there was a moment of awkwardness in the air. It was the closest they'd ever come to actually talking about whatever this thing was between them. They'd always just kind of ignored it, focused on other things because Kris believed that Adam would never be interested in him, and Adam believed that Kris was too good for him even if he was interested, but the seeds of Cassidy's attempts at playing cupid had taken root because neither of them laughed it off.

Kris flexed his fingers against his thigh and he knew he needed to say something sooner rather than later so he didn't run the risk of losing the moment, but he couldn't think of what to say. He settled for, "I can't promise the reaction'll be entirely innocent," and then fell silent because Adam chuckled and his thumbs dug into a particularly painful knot and Kris' head dropped back. He tongued his lower lip and bit back on a moan because _goddamn_ that felt good. He felt like a bit of an idiot because in the movies and in stories, now would be when they kissed and then had epic sex.

It wasn't to be, though, Kris just relaxed as Adam worked out the tension in his shoulders, resting his head against Adam's knee and wishing there was something more there than there was.

He didn't see Adam utilising all of his self-restraint not to give in to the urge to kiss and claim and bite and mark Kris up to fuck because he wanted so badly he could taste it.

They sat in silence for what felt like hours until Kris felt compelled to break it. Their silences were always companionable, quiet and soft, not really feeling the need to talk because why did they need to? It wasn't like either of them were desperate to stop any awkwardness because there was none. Kris had never been able to sit in comfortable silence before. Usually he was never the first one to break it, that honour was always Adam's, but this time he felt pushed, like if he didn't say something now, he would miss his chance.

He didn't know where it came from, but the words came spilling out of his mouth before he could stop himself.

"Do you- I mean, I know that you had your heart broken, but have you sworn off dating forever? That's what you said."

Adam's hands stilled, no longer massaging but his thumb stroked up and down across the long column of Kris' neck in a slow, sweeping motion. It was more intimate than any of the touches they had exchanged so far, and far more absent. Kris tilted his head a little and wondered if Adam even realised he was doing it.

"That is what I said," Adam murmured, sounding like he was musing on his answer. He chuckled, "I can't believe I actually said 'I'll never date again' to you." He shook his head and Kris turned his a little more to look at Adam. His forehead creased in confusion before his lips twitched.

"I suppose, you do have a flair for the dramatic," he teased and Adam flicked his ear before his thumb went back to stroking along Kris' neck. On the downward sweep, it crept underneath the collar of Kris' plaid shirt. Kris' breath caught.

"I do," Adam agreed softly, tongue wetting his lower lip as he glanced down, watching the movements of his thumb. "And- in answer to your question, I don't know. Probably." Something akin to disappointment speared through Kris and he glanced away. Adam frowned and his hand shifted, catching Kris' chin gently and tilting his head back. He even shifted so Kris wasn't craning to look at him. "Unless the right guy came along, of course."

"And by 'right guy' you mean someone who's gorgeous and doesn't expect anything from you?" Kris asked, trying to distance himself a little because Kris wasn't that guy: they both knew that. No matter how much he wanted to be. Kris was safe and plain and boring, nothing that Adam was or wanted.

Adam wrinkled his nose. "What kind of person do you take me for, Kristopher?" he retorted, a little disgusted, "That would just be sex. I don't want just sex in a relationship. If I'm gonna be with someone, I want them to... y'know." It was Adam's turn to glance away and Kris turned properly, on his knees between Adam's legs, knelt on the couch with Adam's hand still on his face. It should have been ridiculous - it _was_ ridiculous - but that didn't change the fact that Kris wanted it so badly.

"No, I don't know," Kris teased softly even though he could hazard a pretty good guess.

Adam's cheeks were flushed. It was when he got embarrassed like this that it was clear he wasn't naturally dark haired. The pink on his cheeks highlighted his freckles - though he wasn't wearing make up at the moment anyway so it wasn't like they were hidden. Kris loved it. He loved the way that Adam looked when he was just... Adam. The dorky Adam that sat in Kris' apartment and watched bad TV, talking along with an episode of Sex and the City or whatever other show was on that Adam loved and Kris just _had_ to see.

"You know exactly what I mean, don't be obtuse." Adam groused and then lifted his shoulders. His other hand slid through his hair. "I just- like everyone. I want someone to love me for me."

"Because you make it so easy to get to know you," Kris prodded, though the smile on his face softened any barb that might have been felt with his words. He leaned up a little, hands coming to rest on Adam's chest. He had meant to put them on his shoulders but it didn't quite happen. "Difficult as you are to like, you're kinda easy to love." Adam just swallowed, not saying anything for a moment and Kris ducked his head to get into Adam's eye-line. There was fear in Kris' eyes. He felt like he'd crossed a line, that line they both toed gingerly, never wanting to cross or brush it for fear of the consequences. Kris felt like he'd just taken a huge step forward and across the line. Was that a mistake?

The hand on his chin had moved to the back of his neck and Adam tightened his arm reflexively, tugging Kris that little bit closer. Kris wet his lower lip, able to feel Adam's breath against his face.

"Adam-" he murmured, eyes flicking up momentarily, warm brown meeting blue. "Adam I-"

Whatever he might have said, though, was lost to the electric charge in the air, the magnetic way in which their lips collided and the sensation of something finally slotting into place, like it had been missing all along.

Lips and tongues and teeth met in a kiss that was a long time coming, fingers twisted in hair and bodies arched to touch and taste, sating a craving that had long since gone unsatisfied. Adam's arm slid around Kris' shoulders, moving him backwards, turning them both and pushing him into the cushions of the couch, laying him back and stretching out over him. A thigh slid between Kris' and his mouth absorbed the sound of Kris' moan as he lifted his hips into the friction.

\+ + +

_"Tell me to stop."_

Cassidy felt like an outsider, watching with his cheeks flushed as he floated above their heads, his wings flapping lazily.

_"I- I **can't**, God- A-Adam-"_

"Ssh, baby, it's alright. Let me take care of you."

He closed his eyes and lifted his head towards the ceiling, drifting upwards to give the two men peace. He felt accomplished, like he'd done something right for the first time in his (after)life.

So why, then, when he reached the office was he waved back down again and sent to his apartment with not even so much as a 'congratulations for fulfilling your purpose'?

\+ + +

When he opened his eyes and saw that he was back in his apartment, Cassidy felt understandably upset that he'd apparently not done what he was expected to. What else could it be? He got Kris and Adam to finally make out on the couch - and now that he'd been kicked down to Earth again he felt that he'd probably been too noble in leaving them to get busy on the couch and not watch. Kris was playing music again, what more did the Boss want from him? It was bad enough that he didn't even know what he was doing in the first place.

Cassidy felt rather put out to say the least. He raked his fingers through his hair, wings fluttering in distress. He hated not knowing what he was doing or what was going on. He hated that he had no clue as to what he was supposed to be doing. How was he supposed to give Kris' life direction if he didn't know what he was supposed to be directing him to do? It was impossible. It was damn near impossible and Cassidy absolutely hated that he had nothing to base his movements off. Was he supposed to break them up now? Was he supposed to convince them to become Gay Rights activists and push for Prop 8 to be scrapped so that people like them could get married?

"Fuck." He really didn't feel very angelic and when he walked over to his kitchen counter and saw his open sketchbook, Cassidy just leaned forward over it and pressed his forehead into the pages, his wings flopping down lifelessly. He drew in a deep breath. The way that the paper and pencil smelled calmed him down. It always had done, strangely enough.

"You know," a voice said, startling Cassidy. He lifted his head to see Allison comfortably nestled into his couch, her own wings having disappeared. She was inspecting her nails with her legs dangling off the arm of the couch. She was wearing a black skirt and a button-down shirt, her hair was loose and red as it always was and she had a pair of black biker-style boots on. "It's never that easy. Life is never that easy. Particularly not when you're in the middle of an Angelic Intervention."

He liked Allison, he really did, but right now he didn't want a pep-talk, he didn't want someone to tell him that it was all going to be alright. He wanted someone to just point him in the right direction and then let him get on with something fun. Another case which didn't have cute Adam Lambert and badly dressed Kris Allen and where he wasn't supposed to be intervening on some Divine Being's behalf in making a gay relationship happen. She stretched her hand out in front of her and looked at it again. Her nails were painted black and red, fitting because it matched the rest of her outfit.

"I'm aware of that, Allison," Cassidy said finally as he pursed his lips and looked at her. He liked what she was wearing, it wasn't quite avant-garde enough for the kind of clothes he designed, but if he was ever going to go into designing clothes for 'normal people' then that was definitely the kind of look he would go for. Indie-Rock-Punk with a splash of crazy on the side. She had style. She had also been in the NDARS offices for years so she must have picked up the style from more recent years because when Allison was on Earth there was no way that she would have been able to get away with wearing anything like that. "That doesn't make this whole thing any easier though."

She got to her feet - Cassidy always forgot how tiny she was - and walked over to him. She stood on the opposite end of the counter, her hands flat on the imitation-granite. "You know full well that you're just feeling sorry for yourself. It's not cool. You've started to go. I mean, you're- you've definitely pushed him on the right path but he's not there yet. He's got this great big destiny and he needs to actually get on the path for it."

"And his destiny is what, exactly?" Cassidy asked, folding his arms. He knew he was being petulant, but he couldn't help it. He wanted to be able to sulk. Allison made that hard. She might have looked young, but her brown eyes gave away her age and how wise she was. It also meant that it was hard to stay mad at her because she reminded Cassidy of Bambi, or a puppy with those huge, dark eyes.

"I don't know. I'm not allowed to see or know that stuff. I'm just the receptionist."

"And if that's the case," Cassidy added a moment later, tilting his head at her, "Then what're you doing here? I didn't think you were ever really allowed to leave the offices."

"I can leave if I want to," Allison said, jutting out her lower lip in a pout. "Aren't you happy to see me?" Rolling his eyes, Cassidy just waited for her to continue, they both knew she would. "Besides, I wanted to come see you, I figured you'd be a bit bummed out because you're not done with Kris yet." She tipped her head, "Though, personally, I don't see what's so bad about him. He's kind of cute, and what he wears might not be fashionable, but it suits him, you know? It looks good on him. He suits having the plaid and the- you know, the slightly baggy jeans." She winked and Cassidy couldn't help but smile at her.

"Maybe, but he's got a killer ass and he's not unattractive so wearing what he does doesn't do him any favours."

"Not everything's about looking fabulous, Cass," Allison said, those doe-like eyes focusing on him again. The guilt she could inspire with just one look was quite incredible. A glance away from her - and at the clock - told him that it had been quite some time since he had checked on Kris and Adam. He supposed they were probably getting down and busy with catching up on lost time. Making up for all their dancing around each other.

His expression must have given him away because Allison moved around the counter to wrap her arms around Cassidy's waist, resting her head against his back. "Don't think about it," she said, her face pressed against his spine between his wings. He stretched them almost absently before he focused on hiding them, shoving them away and out of sight. His hand curled around her wrist and squeezed gently. "It'll only drive you nuts, you know."

"What, because they're having loads of great sex and I'm stuck having to be celibate because of some dickhead driver's mistake?" It came out sounding bitter, the first time Cassidy had actually allowed himself to feel some kind of emotion other than the self pity of 'woe is me, I'm dead' at his accident. "I hate this."

"It gets better," Allison promised quietly, squeezing his waist gently. "I promise." She opened her mouth to say more, but then her stomach growled and she let go and looked sheepish as Cassidy turned to look at her.

"When was the last time you were down here?" He asked. She lifted her shoulders and looked thoughtful.

"Um... about eighteen years ago?" She tried, it was a guess. She didn't actually know. She just knew that when she'd been down last, bellbottom trousers and technicolour clothing was in fashion. "I have no idea," she admitted a second later. Her stomach growled again. "But I'm hungry."

Cassidy laughed, "I bet you are," he said with a laugh and opened his fridge. There was little in there, just some milkshake cartons - which Allison reached out and grabbed one, _Chocolate,_ she said, _was always my favourite_ \- and some vegetables. "I guess we're ordering pizza then. Unless you've got something you'd rather have?"

Allison's eyes went wide. "You're gonna buy me pizza?" she asked, bouncing on the spot as she stabbed the straw into the milkshake carton. Wrapping her lips around it, the sound she made when she took her first drink was almost indecent. "I think I love you."

Cassidy laughed, "Go sit down on the couch, Allison. I'll make an order and we can watch TV? How long can you stay?"

Allison just smiled enigmatically. "I can stay for as long as I want." Which, really, meant for as long as Cassidy needed her to.

\+ + +

Cassidy was hardly surprised to realise that Allison was a lot of fun. She let him wrap fabrics around her and they talked about costumes and dresses, they talked about the way that clothes fitted and how the right level of theatricality was great. She was still so young in many ways and she listened as Cassidy told her stories of working in the theatre. She had been barely eighteen when she was killed, a lot of life experiences were lost on her. She had barely lived. Cassidy felt pleased that he could do something for her since she'd been so endlessly patient with him.

They ended up talking until the sun rose. Allison took pleasure in learning about the gadgets that had cropped up in the time since she was last on Earth and she stared at the DVD player, startled when it turned on and opened. She nearly got her fingers caught in it. She played with the microwave and nearly set it on fire when she put an empty packet of potato chips in it.

"Do you have to go back?" he asked over the sound of Jerry Springer. She was fun and Cassidy was lonely. True, he had Adam and Kris but that was different, there were aspects of him that he couldn't share with anyone and Allison looked like she was having so much fun that he didn't want to see her stuck behind a desk again.

"Not yet," Allison said, snuggling further underneath the blanket that Cassidy had given her when she started shivering. "But I am tired." Her eyes were drooping, each blink slightly longer than the last. When she was at 'work' in the offices, she didn't need to sleep. Time just seemed to stand still up there and she was never bored, never had nothing to do. Her life was ridiculously busy.

Cassidy nodded, hand covering his own yawn. It amused him that a second later, Allison yawned too.

"Get some sleep, you can crash on the couch. I'm gonna go to bed. I'll see you in the morning?" He hated that he sounded hopeful. Allison just beamed at him and nodded.

"Damn straight. And you'll introduce me to Adam and Kris too." It wasn't a request.

Cassidy smiled. "Sure. Night."

"Night!"

\+ + +

"Cassidy!" Allison's voice was loud and lyrical. Way too loud for ten in the morning. "Cassidy! You promised me pancakes!"

Cassidy groaned. He'd totally forgotten that he had a visitor. He didn't know why Allison was down on Earth, but to be honest, he didn't much care because it was nice for him just to have someone to talk to. Someone that wasn't Adam or Kris because as great as they were, they didn't understand. That and he was feeling a little resentful of himself for being the bigger angel and actually pushing them together.

He was so sure they'd probably had a lot of sex last night. Not that he knew about it really, he'd been distracted - thankfully - by Allison's arrival.

"I'll make you pancakes when I get up," he promised, pulling his covers over his head. "But right now I'd probably just burn the kitchen down."

He didn't see Allison pouting and pushing her hair back behind her ears. He did hear her shout "Fiiiiine" from the other room and he drifted back to sleep relatively easily.

When he was asleep, he didn't realise that she had decided to go and find pancakes a different way.

Allison was new to this place. She'd never learned to make pancakes when she was alive, her mom hadn't been the best teacher and pancakes had been... well, they were never on the menu. They'd been talking about food last night after having eaten take out for about three hours. Her stomach growled, remembering the pizza and she tilted her head at the front door.

She wondered if Kris and Adam would mind making her pancakes. She wouldn't be interfering, she was just going to ask them for food. She felt like she knew them so well anyway, having kept an eye on them both since Cassidy took up this assignment. She had to admit, though, she'd always been fascinated with Adam. He was just so... incredible. The things he could do with his voice... He should be famous, she knew that. They both should be, they were talented enough.

She slipped out of Cassidy's apartment, her feet clad in purple and black striped socks as she knocked on the door to Kris' apartment. It was quarter past ten, a perfectly respectable time to be up. If Kris had work, he would have been up earlier. She didn't consider it strange that she knew that, she knew a lot of things about the two men that she probably shouldn't know. But that was her job. She read their files. Hell, she actually compiled the files most of the time. She'd certainly put together the one on Kris for Cassidy to peruse (which he didn't do until well into his tenure as Kris' Guardian, considering the mess they ended up in).

She twirled her fingers in her hair, suddenly nervous. What if they didn't like her? What if they thought she was weird and didn't want to talk to her or let her in? Then where would she get pancakes? She turned her toes inwards, looking down at them. It had been so long since she'd had to talk to humans. She was worried she'd say something stupid.

When the door opened, Allison looked up at Kris whose hair was rumpled and he had pillow creases on his cheek. She had to suppress her reaction to smile: it was adorable. He looked like he'd just rolled out of bed and reluctantly left Adam behind.

"Can I help you?" he asked, blinking at her a couple of times. _He's not wearing his glasses_, Allison reminded herself, wondering why he was kind of squinting at her.

"Oh! I'm- I'm a friend of Cassidy's." Allison said finally, deciding that maybe asking for pancakes was rude. "I just- uh- wanted to say hello?"

She realised, belatedly, just how stupid this movement had been and she swallowed, shifting a little awkwardly. Kris just smiled at her. "Really? I'm-"

"Kris, I know." At his confused look, she added, "He's talked about you, and Adam."

"What's this about Adam?" another voice asked. It was all the warning they had before there was an arm sliding around Kris' waist and an equally sleepy-looking Adam appeared behind the shorter man. Adam pressed a kiss to the top of Kris' head.

Allison internally squealed. They were cute. She looked at the way that Kris had moved slightly back against Adam, the way Adam's hand spread where it rested against Kris' stomach, quietly possessive. She swallowed and blinked up at Adam too. He was pretty. Very pretty, even with a smudge of eyeliner against his cheekbones and the lingering remains of a hangover in his eyes.

"I- uh, this is a friend of Cassidy's," Kris said, still looking confused because Cassidy didn't really have many friends, did that make her like him? Kris wanted to ask, but Adam was right there, he couldn't, not really. He settled for adding instead, "I didn't catch your name."

"Oh, Allison," she said brightly and Adam smiled.

"She's adorable," he announced and she grinned at him. Okay, that was a good start. "See? Why'd you end up here, sweetie? Cassidy not fed you?"

Kris' eyebrow lifted as he tilted his head back to look up at Adam. All Adam did was kiss Kris' forehead and detangle himself.

"Come in, Alli, we'll make you some breakfast."

"We will? What's this 'we'?" Kris asked, agreeing at the looks shot at him by both Adam and Allison. Already he knew he was going to be fighting a losing battle there. "Sure, what do you guys fancy?"

He was resigned but Adam just laughed and blew him a kiss as he pushed the door shut behind Allison. "You got anything particular in mind you want for breakfast?" It seemed that any friend of Cassidy's was welcome in Kris' apartment. Kris would have argued against it, but Allison was nice enough looking and she didn't have a weird vibe and Kris figured she had to be okay because if she was like Cassidy... well, they didn't let just anyone become an angel.

He checked himself a second later because that was a ridiculous statement. They'd let _Cassidy_ become an angel.

"Pancakes?" Allison asked, turning huge brown eyes on Kris and he felt himself caving almost instantly. When he nodded, she squealed and bounced over to kiss him on the cheek. He went totally still.

Adam snorted at Allison's worried look. "I think I broke him," she said apologetically and Adam just waved a hand.

"Don't worry, he'll fix himself in a second." His arm slid over her shoulder, "He's not used to people touching him, even though he'll touch anyone."

"Anyone?" Allison asked, waggling her eyebrows as she looked back at Kris who just rolled his eyes and started getting the ingredients together to make pancakes.

Adam watched Kris whisking some ingredients together for a moment before he said, "She's so cute, can we keep her?"

"You'd have to ask Cassidy." Kris said, turning to put the pan on the heat.

"Ask Cassidy what?" Cassidy's voice came through the door and Kris wondered when his apartment had become a waypoint and a feeding station, "Ooh, pancakes. You making enough for everyone?"

Kris just shook his head and went back to cooking. The strange turns his life had taken, a year ago he never would have thought of himself being in this position. Six months ago, he never would have considered that he'd ever play or write again, and he'd never have dreamed that he'd have the perfect boyfriend, a guardian angel living across the hall from him and kind of quite a good life.

Life was definitely good at throwing him curve balls.

\+ + +

_Nine Months Later_

The American Idol auditions were insane, everyone knew that. When Cassidy had suggested that Kris and Adam try out, they'd both looked at him like he was mental but figured they had little to lose so why not?

"I'll drop you guys off, but I'm going after that," he commented absently as he wandered around his apartment. Steadily over the last few weeks, more and more of Allison's things had turned up there and fewer and fewer of Cassidy's.

Adam and Kris looked alarmed at the revelation, panic curling in Kris' chest. What? His guardian angel was leaving? Cassidy just smiled.

"I'm going travelling," he lied smoothly and Kris just frowned a little. "It's time I saw the world. Or something like that." He lifted his shoulders. "It's not like you'll never see me again."

"You promise?" Kris asked, stepping out of Adam's hold and in front of Cassidy.

"Yeah, besides, Alli's staying."

Allison grinned as she stepped out of the bedroom that was now hers. "That's right, bitches," she said with an exaggerated drawl. "I'm here to stay. And as much as I love you guys - and I do - you have to go win this thing for me and Cass, right? And then you can come back and buy a bigger place and I can have the guest room and we'll all live happily ever after." She twirled on the spot, "A pool! You should have a pool!"

"A pool?" Adam repeated, "In LA? We could probably have a jaccuzzi..." He didn't think the houses in central LA possessed enough garden space to have a pool, but maybe if they got seriously famous and made a lot of money it was possible.

"Well, you'd have a house in the hills, mi hermano," Allison pointed out like Adam was an idiot, "Because of all the money you'd be making."

Adam laughed and hugged her, kissing the top of her head. "Sure thing, Alli," he teased. "If we win."

"If you win," Kris corrected with a smile because Adam was everything America wanted and needed in an Idol, never mind that he was gay. It would be controversial, but perhaps that was what the country needed. Controversy and a good old fashioned love story.

\+ + + 

"Are you sure about this?" Allison chewed on her lower lip. Adam and Kris were at 'Hollywood Week', staying in accommodation provided for them and it was time for Cassidy to go. For the first time, she actually looked nervous and unsure of what was happening, like she wasn't entirely convinced this was the best idea.

"Of course I am. I'm not _dumping_ Kris or anything, but Ryan thinks that if I stay in LA I'll end up ruining all my hard work to become a better Angel or something." Cassidy waved a hand dismissively and rolled his eyes, "We both know that's wrong. I can resist temptation, but if it makes him feel better, then how can I argue?"

Allison hugged him fiercely, her wings fluttering in a manner that revealed how unsettled she was by all of this. She was excited by the opportunity given to her: Ryan had said she'd been doing enough paperwork and that she needed a bit more real life experience, working as a hands on Guardian in a situation that was already working and she'd panicked that she'd be sent somewhere remote and boring with boring people, but when he told her she was effectively 'taking over' watching Kris and Adam she couldn't have been happier. She hadn't, at the time, realised that it meant she was replacing Cassidy.

"Besides, I've got someone else to go beat into shape now and put on the right track. Far as I understand it, I'm still Kris' Guardian but he doesn't need me as desperately anymore." Cassidy wrinkled his nose, "You think you'd be able to hire enough Guardians that everyone had one of their own, wouldn't you."

Allison just looked at him and pursed her lips, unimpressed.

"We did, but then... budget cuts."

\+ + +

Cassidy was rocketed off to help someone else, in Paris this time. He'd never spoken a word of French in his life, but he picked it up quick enough and sat in his apartment overlooking the beautiful cityscape, watching American Idol on the cable channel he'd paid extra to get and feeling ridiculously proud of his boys. Of his work.

Finally, he had done something right.

His new charge was fabulous; a fashion designer who'd lost the drive and the creative muse, and Cassidy was there to light the fire of inspiration underneath his ass.

Which he would do, as soon as American Idol was over.

\+ + +

"It's gonna be okay," Adam said, holding onto Kris' shoulders and squeezing gently. "We're ready for this, no matter what happens."

Kris looked up at Adam and nodded once, lower lip caught between his teeth. He didn't really think they were ready, he certainly wasn't. This was huge, they'd been partners for a year now, contestants on one of the biggest reality TV shows in the world for the last... God knew how long it felt like forever, and it was all about to end. One way or the other, they were going to find out who was the 'winner'.

"Guys, we need you to come up now, the show's about to start."

Adam smiled at Kris, tugging on his shirt collar. "You ready baby?"

"No, are you?"

"I was born ready." He winked and leaned down, stealing a kiss that was deep and consuming, mumbling, "I love you" against Kris' mouth before he pulled away and took his boyfriend's hand.

Tonight was the start of the rest of their lives.

_And the winner of American Idol 2009 is..._

\+ + +

_American Idol came to an unexpected and unprecedented end last night when the battle for the coveted title of "American Idol" went to Kris Allen. There was a record number of votes, over one hundred million of you rang in to declare who your favourite Idol contestant was, and though no official numbers have come out, sources say that it was the closest results show in American Idol history._

Adam Lambert, runner up was not disappointed though, if anything, the pride on his face spoke wonders of the strength of their relationship. He said "Kris deserves this, he's worked so hard and we're both winners at the end of the day. You can't compare us musically and I think he has slightly more mass appeal. I'm proud of him. The only way for us both from here is up, and I'm really glad to be with him as we ride this crazy fame rollercoaster."

Lambert and Allen entered the competition together and have made no secret about the state of their relationship despite the network and producers trying to keep it quiet for fear of public retribution.

If anything, the audience was drawn in and endeared to the romance between these two men and the way that they found music and happiness through each other. "It's weird," Kris told us in an interview last week, "They're sending us presents on our birthdays. I got a headphone splitter so that we could listen to music together on the tour and cuddle, and Adam got some slightly more... risque stuff. They all seem so invested in our relationship, it's such a surprise."

Another surprise came when they both beat out early favourite, Danny Gokey, last week. Gokey was voted off after a truly terrible performance: the pressure of the competition was obviously getting to him. Though he was overshadowed - as were the other contestants - this season by the hype created by the gay romance that played out on our screens.

Very early on in the season, "Kradam" as they were named by the fans wowed the audience and the judges week after week, from Adam's outgoing and lively performances with the touch of camp theatricality and intense vocal stylings to Kris' understated reworkings of old and new classics, giving them the distinct 'Kris Allen' spin.

What does the future hold for the coupled-up Idol alumni? Well, if the screaming fans outside the studio are any indication? They're both going to do just fine.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic started off as a small idea that became a big idea that became a monster. I had no idea where I was going with it to start off with and it never would have gotten anywhere if not for Mands, who was my main cheerleader from the very beginning, helping to get the fic rolling when I was writing upwards of 2000 words a day, and letting me bounce ideas off her the first time I got stuck. She was also my second beta-reader and put up with my panicking and flailing and freaking out. Without her, this fic just simply would. not. be.
> 
> All the people at the ficfinishing comm deserve buckets of love and sparkles for cheerleading and helping me push the fic to its finish, especially my First Reader, mrsfjl66 and my wonderful beta-reader Leah, who really helped with soundboarding and just- was so awesome in picking up on continuity errors and the few spelling mistakes I did have.
> 
> My artist is awesome too, Ace (whose stuff is [here](http://wethepainted.livejournal.com/16074.html)) and I know she's put a lot of effort into the pieces she's done and I'm really looking forward to seeing the finished outcome! And huge thanks to the people at the Kradam Big Bang on LJ who were supportive and the mods for putting it on.


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